The US has accused a Russian lawmaker and two of his staff of conspiring to influence the country’s politics, using a US citizen as a Russian agent, violating US sanctions and committing visa fraud.
According to court documents made public this Thursday, from January 2012 to June 2017, Deputy Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Babakov, 59, together with Aleksandr Nikolayevich Vorobev, 52, and Mikhail Alekseyevich Plisyuk, 58, operated an international network of influence and disinformation to favor Russian interests.
“The indictment alleges that a high-ranking lawmaker aligned with (Russian President) Putin and his close employees, all of whom are targeted by sanctions, participated in a global campaign to influence and gain access to US elected officials,” it said. In a statement, the head of National Security of the Department of Justice, Matthew Olsen.