The transcript of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s interview with alleged Russian agent Maria Butina will be released to the Justice Department, the panel announced Wednesday.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., announced after receiving Senate approval that they intend to provide the Justice Department the transcript of their interview with Butina, which was part of the panel’s ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.
“In response to requests from the Department of Justice and counsel for Maria Butina, we have sought authorization from the Senate to release to both parties the transcript of Ms. Butina’s testimony before the Committee,” Burr and Warner said in a joint statement. “The Committee intends to provide the transcript, provided both parties agree to include it under the auspices of a protective order, which we understand is currently under discussion.”
Butina was arrested last month and was indicted on charges of conspiracy against the U.S. She allegedly worked as an unregistered foreign agent of the Russian government as she attended American University. She has pleaded not guilty.
She also is a gun-rights activist and allegedly has ties to members of the National Rifle Association.
