Subject: Maria Butina

People, Subject of Interest

Mariia Valeryevna Butina  (Russian: Мария Валерьевна Бутина, sometimes transliterated as Maria Butina or Mariya Butina; born November 10, 1988) is a Russian who was convicted in 2018 of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia within the United States.

Beginning in 2011, she worked as an assistant for Aleksandr Torshin, a former member of the Federation Council, a member of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, and a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia. In this role, she worked to infiltrate conservative groups in the US, including the National Rifle Association, as part of an effort to promote Russian interests in the 2016 United States presidential election. Continue reading “Subject: Maria Butina”

Article: A Tycoon’s Deep-State Conspiracy Dive

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A Tycoon’s Deep-State Conspiracy Dive

Sheelah Kolhatkar, 07 December 2020

In July, 2015, Patrick Byrne, the founder of the online discount retailer Overstock, delivered a twenty-minute talk at FreedomFest, the annual libertarian conference in Las Vegas. Other speakers included the venture capitalist Peter Thiel; John Mackey, the chief executive officer of Whole Foods; and the Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump.

Byrne’s talk, entitled “Turtles All the Way Down: How the Crypto-Revolution Solves Intractable Problems on Wall Street,” was a version of one he had given many times before. It touched on several of his interests, including the kind of liberalism usually referred to as libertarianism, the flaws in the structure of the stock market which make it vulnerable to manipulation, and how a blockchain-based financial system could eliminate those flaws. After the talk, a line of people waited by the stage to speak to Byrne.
Continue reading “Article: A Tycoon’s Deep-State Conspiracy Dive”

Article: South Dakota man linked to Russian spy sentenced for fraud

Article - Media, Publications

Investigations Newsletter: Russian National Sentenced to Prison for $100 Million Cyber Fraud Conspiracy

Associated Press, 13 August 2020

A former conservative operative who was once romantically linked to a Russian agent was sentenced Monday to seven years in federal prison in South Dakota.

Paul Erickson pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering as part of fraudulent investment schemes he operated for many years, the Argus Leader reported.

Erickson was not charged in connection to his romantic relationship with Maria Butina, who was deported in October after admitting she sought to infiltrate conservative U.S. political groups and promote Russia’s agenda. He came under the scrutiny of federal investigators who were monitoring Butina but her role in his downfall did not come up in court. Continue reading “Article: South Dakota man linked to Russian spy sentenced for fraud”

Article: Former Overstock CEO Explains by Charles Gasparino and Lydia Moynihan

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Fmr. Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne wants to explain controversial exit, stock sale and predicts more deep state revelations

According to Byrne, his departure and stock sale are unrelated to his FBI activities or what he has described as a romantic tryst with an alleged Russian spy, Maria Butina, though he says those matters will become a huge story sometime soon. Byrne in his interview with FOX Business said he didn’t want to dwell on spycraft (“I’m supposed to be keeping quiet [on] all that political stuff,” he said), adding cryptically that the full story “will break this year and it will be 100 times bigger than Watergate … it’s political fraud conducted by the deep state against the republic, against Democrats and Republicans … I was asked to set up Hillary Clinton,” all of which he declined to elaborate on.

Article: The Fall Of Overstock’s Mad King

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The Fall Of Overstock’s Mad King

Forbes, 30 September 2019

Recently, Patrick Byrne, The Founder And Longtime Ceo Of Former E-tailing Giant Overstock.com, Made Headlines By Resigning, Saying His Involvement As A Federal Informant In The Investigation Of Accused Russian Spy Maria Butina Made Performing His Duties Impossible. That’s Not The Whole Story. This Is. Continue reading “Article: The Fall Of Overstock’s Mad King”

Article: Overstock’s controversial former CEO sold his entire $90 million stake to pile into gold and crypto investments (OSTK)

Article - Media, Publications

Overstock’s controversial former CEO sold his entire $90 million stake to pile into gold and crypto investments (OSTK)

Ben Winck, 19 September 2019

Overstock founder and former CEO Patrick Byrne sold nearly 5 million shares totaling roughly $90 million in order to invest in “counter-cyclical” assets like gold and cryptocurrencies.

Byrne plans to make his new investments by Friday. He can also provide “a capital injection if needed by buying back into Overstock” as soon as March 17, 2020, a Wednesday blog post highlighted.

The former executive added that his move into crypto and precious metals allows him to move his capital “outside acts of retaliation from the Deep State.” Continue reading “Article: Overstock’s controversial former CEO sold his entire $90 million stake to pile into gold and crypto investments (OSTK)”

Article: Overstock’s Patrick Byrne: the rise and fall of a blockchain pioneer

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Overstock’s Patrick Byrne: the rise and fall of a blockchain pioneer

Scott Thompson, 25 August 2019

Patrick Byrne this week resigned as CEO of US online retailer Overstock. The move closely followed the announcement of disappointing Q2 2019 financial results.

In a letter, he said it was impossible to continue due to distraction and fallout related to his involvement in a Federal Bureau of Investigation Russian espionage probe. Continue reading “Article: Overstock’s Patrick Byrne: the rise and fall of a blockchain pioneer”

Article: Patrick Byrne Goes on Fox News Making Serious Allegations Against Former Obama Administration Officials

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Patrick Byrne Goes on Fox News Making Serious Allegations Against Former Obama Administration Officials

JD Alois, 22 August 2019

Former Overstock (NASDAQ:OSTK) CEO Patrick Byrne was visiting with the studios of Fox News today following his abrupt resignation earlier today from the company he founded.

Byrne is widely recognized as a pioneer in the blockchain sector having launched several companies, including tZero, targeting the issuance of digital assets/security tokens.

Byrne, interviewed on The Story with Martha MacCallum, went on the air making serious allegations against former Obama Administration officials. The entire proceedings were shocking.

Byrne explained that he has been troubled by the chain of events and he recently spoke to long-time family friend Warren Buffett for advice – who told him to come forward. Continue reading “Article: Patrick Byrne Goes on Fox News Making Serious Allegations Against Former Obama Administration Officials”

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