Senior NRA figures met with wife of billionaire tied to alleged Russian agent: report

Senior National Rifle Association (NRA) figures in 2015 reportedly met with the wife of the billionaire who allegedly funded Marina Butina, the Russian woman who was indicted last week for allegedly conspiring to work for the Russian government by infiltrating organizations that have influence in U.S. politics, including the NRA. 

The NRA officials met with Svetlana Nikolaeva, the wife of Konstantin Nikolaev, on a trip to Russia in 2015, according to The Guardian. 

{mosads}Svetlana owns a gun company that supplies rifles to the Russian military and intelligence services, according to The Guardian. 

Konstantin Nikolaev, a Russian billionaire with ties to U.S. industries, financially supported Butina’s gun rights group, according to The Washington Post. Court filings from last week also suggest Butina sent messages about her “funder,” a Russian man who prosecutors said is worth $1.2 billion and often travels to the U.S.

Nikolaev was listed by Forbes this year as having a net worth of $1.2 billion. He has investments in energy and technology companies in the U.S.

The report that his wife met with NRA officials in 2015 adds to a growing controversy over ties between the NRA and Russian officials. 

Butina and her alleged co-conspirator, high-level Russian government official Alexander Torshin, were reportedly “life members” of the NRA, met with top NRA officials and attended the gun lobbying group’s conventions.

The FBI is currently investigating Torshin for allegedly funneling money into the NRA to get President Trump elected, according to a McClatchy report. 

The NRA disclosed in a letter in April that it had received contributions from 23 individuals with links to Russia since 2015. 

The NRA has not made a public statement about Butina’s arrest or indictment last week. 

The NRA delegation that met with Svetlana Nikolaev included Pete Brownell, then the NRA’s first vice president, and David Keene, a former NRA president. Their visit to Russia was partly funded by Butina’s gun rights organization, Right to Bear Arms.