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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.
CNN has attempted to contact Branson for comment on the charges.
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…
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Source : cnn
