Washington (CNN) Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday morning to attempting to infiltrate Republican political circles and influence US relations with Russia before and after the 2016 presidential election. "Butina sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over US politics," prosecutors said. "Butina predicted that the candidate nominated by [the Republican Party] would likely win the upcoming US presidential election," her statement of offense said. In the court documents, the Republican Party is referred to as "Political Party #1." Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Butina took the deal "to survive."

Source: CNN December 13, 2018 16:24 UTC