Russian gun mole to sing

Admits NRA plot, will cooperate with feds

Accused Russian agent Maria Butina admitted in court (inset) Thursday that she conspired to influence American politics “for the benefit of the Russian Federation.” Her Kremlin handler was believed to be Alexander Torshin (below).

A pistol-packing Russian redhead who forged deep ties with the National Rifle Association admitted Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington that she was part of the Kremlin’s coordinated effort to infiltrate and influence American politics.

Maria Butina, who professed her innocence after her arrest in July, pleaded guilty and agreed to work with prosecutors who accused her of gathering intelligence on American officials and conservative political organizations at the direction of a former Russian lawmaker.

Judge Tanya Chutkan signed off on the agreement days after Butina’s lawyers and prosecutors filed court papers asking to change her plea. They said they had “resolved” the case.

The 30-year-old, a purported gun-rights activist who professed her support for President Trump and came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2016, has been jailed without bail since her arrest.

She admitted Thursday to conspiring with an unnamed American to act at the direction of a Russian official “to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics … for the benefit of the Russian Federation.”

The American has been identified by law enforcement officials as Paul Erickson, a longtime South Dakota-based Republican operative who was in a romantic relationship with Butina.

Erickson’s attorney, Bill Hurd, reiterated an earlier statement about his client.

“We stand by our previous statement. Paul Erickson is a good American,” Hurd told the Daily News. “He has done nothing to harm our country and never would.”

The Russian handler in court documents is believed to be Alexander Torshin, who recently retired as deputy governor of the Russian central bank.

Butina, a former graduate student at American University, became a fixture in conservative circles in recent years and a constant presence at functions organized by the NRA, a group closely aligned with Republicans lawmakers and Trump.

The NRA did not respond to a request for comment on the plea.

The charges against Butina were brought by federal prosecutors in Washington, and her case was unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

However, the Siberian native, who twice met with a Trump campaign aide and has been photographed with Donald Trump Jr., has reportedly agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s team of investigators.

The Kremlin has vehemently denied Butina is a government agent.

Butina admitted that she acted for years as an unregistered agent in the U.S. to advance Russian interests and more recently attempted to “establish unofficial lines of communication” with the Trump administration.

She will remain jailed while awaiting sentencing.