Elena Branson: Russian-American charged with acting as illegal Russian agent in the US - CNNPolitics
Reds start talking when the FEDs come aknocking!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
(CNN)A dual Russian-American citizen has been charged with acting as a spy in the US, according to court filings that say she ran organizations that "sought to spread Russian propaganda."
Elena Branson was charged Tuesday with acting and conspiring to act in the US illegally as an agent of the Russian government, willfully failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, conspiring to commit visa fraud and making false statements to the FBI, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint alleges that Branson fled to Russia in 2020. From at least 2011, Branson worked on behalf of the Russian government and Russian officials to advance Russian interests in the US, the complaint says. Prosecutors allege she coordinated meetings for Russian officials to lobby US political officials and businesspeople, and operated organizations to publicly promote Russian government policies. US spy chiefs say Putin is likely to escalate in Ukraine with no concern for civilian casualties CNN has attempted to contact Branson for comment on the charges. Read More The charges come as tensions between the US and Russia continue to intensify following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine last month, with the US front-and-center in a multinational effort to punish Russia for its actions. Among the allegations, prosecutors say Branson exchanged a series of emails in March 2016 with a Russian minister, who asked her to organize a meeting with Donald Trump, who was then a Republican presidential candidate, or his daughter, in New York. The complaint says Branson sent the minister a draft letter to the now-former President inviting him to the Russia Forum New York in April 2016, but there is no indication that Trump or his children attended the meeting. CNN has reached out to representatives of Trump for comment. Prosecutors allege Branson ran an organization in New York City called the Russian Center New York, which allegedly received "tens of thousands of dollars in funding from the Russian government and have taken direct orders from Russian officials concerning events and public messaging," according to the complaint. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said that Branson is alleged to have corresponded with Russian Vladimir Putin, and met with a high-ranking Russian minister before founding a "propaganda center" in New York City. "Branson's promotional outreach, including an 'I Love Russia' campaign aimed at American youths, exemplifies her attempts to act at the behest of the Russian government to illegally promote its interests in the United States," Williams said in a statement. "Particularly given current global events, the need to detect and hinder attempts at foreign influence is of critical importance, and the Southern District of New York is proud to do its part in the fight against tyranny," he added. Prosecutors said the FBI interviewed Branson in September 2020 and that she falsely claimed she'd never been asked by Russian officials to coordinate meetings between US business leaders or politicians and Russian government officials. The organization's offices were searched by the FBI in 2020, and prosecutors allege Branson flew to Moscow about a month after the search. In 2021, prosecutors said, Branson did an interview with Russian state-controlled network Russia Today, where she said she left the US because she was "scared" and thought it was likely that she'd be arrested if she stayed in the country.
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The roundup of Americans working with agents of Russian State Intelligence Services finally begins...
So you really want to do this?
Hillary Clinton and her campaign would go to jail. Are you sure?
El Chapo and The engineer of the Green New Deal Ted kaczynski would likely welcome the new roommates.
I want those spreading Russian disinformation and war propaganda arrested as enemy agents!
What became of Tokyo Rose and Axis Annie?
Rest assured that would include many high level Democrats.
Not surprising, the Soviet Union kept a tight grip on populations arresting people for dissent. You should listen to the stories from people who lived behind the iron curtain.
Joseph Raymond McCarthy was ahead of his time.
Try being a Russian and talking that kind of shit about Putin in Russia. The fact on the ground here is that defacto agents of Russian State Intelligence Services in America are now enemy spies possibly eligible for the death penalty...
If you dance with The Devil you pay the piper!
This might be your time to vacation in Siberia!
What became of Tokyo Rose
Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino was convicted on one count in a sham federal trial and served over 6 years of a ten year sentence and later received a pardon.
No one wanted to dance with Tail-Gunner Joe.
That is not true, unless your name is No One!
Axis Annie got 10-30 for betraying America...
She was one of the most hated people ever.
I'm old but was only three when the Tail-gunner died.
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He voted and danced with Biden?
He once went after Lucille Ball and Desi defended her saying the only thing red about her was her hair.
When I was in Dubai during Desert Storm, we had our own version of Tokoyo Rose. She didn't know that Bart Simpson was a cartoon character and would tell our men that while they were over there, all of their wives were having sex with Simpson....aye carumba!
She ended up in a convent teaching German and music.
Guess we need more people for the eventual prisoner exchanges.
Gosh I miss those Glienicke Bridge exchanges...
/s