Accused Russian spy Maria Butina appears to reach plea deal https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/10/polit...lea/index.html Washington (CNN)Accused Russian spy Maria Butina appears to have reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Butina is accused of trying to infiltrate Republican political circles and party leaders during the 2016 campaign in order to advance Russian interests, and prosecutors have said the former American University student was in touch with politically powerful Russians about her activities in the US.