Republican political operative Paul Erickson, the boyfriend of alleged Russian agent Maria Butina, has been told he may face similar accusations of acting as a covert foreign agent, The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday.
The website reviewed a "target letter" federal investigators sent to Erickson's lawyer, which said they are considering bringing charges against him for secretly acting as an agent of a foreign government and for conspiracy.
The letter, sent in September, did not accuse Erickson of any specific crimes. However, Erickson would be the first American charged under Section 951, which prohibits acting as agents of a foreign government, in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 election.
A person familiar with the probe told The Daily Beast that some people connected to Erickson have given statements to the FBI.
Staff memeber of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, has also interviewed Erickson.
Erickson's lawyer said he would plead the Fifth Amendment if subpoenaed to testify, according to The Daily Beast.
Both the lawyer representing Erickson on the Senate Intelligence Committee matter and a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in D.C. declined to comment.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.