Chris Coons Implicated in Helping Russian Spies Create Back-Channel Connections with U.S. Policy-Makers
The National Prayer Breakfast became a nexus for spies and traitors under the Chairmanship of Delaware Senator Chris Coons. That is a well-established fact. But was Coons a pawn or did he and his organization actively participate in the conspiracy to undermine the United States? Now we have the smoking gun which ties Chris Coons and his organization directly to the conspiracy to create create back-channel connections between Russian Intelligence Services and U.S. Policy-Makers.
Christian Group Reported Expenses for Having Russians at National Prayer Breakfast
A Christian charity with ties to the National Prayer Breakfast reported unspecified expenses associated with having Russian guests attend the event in 2017 and possibly other years, federal tax documents show.
The guests may have included people picked by convicted Russian agent Maria Butina as part of a plan to create back-channel connections with U.S. policy-makers, many of whom attend the breakfast. One leader of the charity appears to match details the FBI has given about an unnamed breakfast organizer who aided Butina.
In her plea agreement, Butina admitted to acting as an agent of the Russian government without registering with the Justice Department.
The FBI says that Butina and her handler — widely reported to be Alexander Torshin, a Russian official said to be close to President Vladimir Putin — attended the breakfast to influence U.S politics. The tax records reviewed by TYT represent the first indication they may have received direct financial support in their efforts.
“[I]n furtherance of the conspiracy,” Butina’s plea deal says, “Butina helped [Torshin] organize a Russian delegation to the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast… [Torshin] directed Butina to include certain people.”
Butina wrote in 2015 that the best way to influence U.S. policy toward Russia was not through official channels. “As an alternative,” her plea deal says, “Butina suggested that Russia could use unofficial channels of communication to the same end.”
The National Prayer Breakfast, an annual ritual for Washington’s elite, was targeted by the two Russians to build those channels, according to the FBI. For decades the event has drawn every president from each party, as well as top members of Congress. In 2003, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called the breakfast’s patriarch, Doug Coe, “a genuinely loving spiritual mentor and guide to anyone, regardless of party or faith.”
The breakfast is run by the Fellowship Foundation, sometimes known as The Family, a secretive Christian group led by Coe for decades before his death in 2017.
Every year, the breakfast is co-chaired by one member from each party. This year’s, on Feb. 7, is being co-chaired by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and James Lankford (R-OK). Coons co-chaired the 2017 breakfast with Sen. John Boozman (R-AR).
A July 2018 FBI affidavit said that an unnamed organizer of the breakfast helped Butina and Torshin get Russian guests into the breakfast.
“The breakfast is run by the Fellowship Foundation, sometimes known as The Family, a secretive Christian group…”
As much as I loathe Coons, I’m not aware of anyone being aghast over Russians at the National Prayer Breakfast.
What’s problematic is not Coons and Russians… what’s problematic is Coons’ association with “a secretive Christian group”.
“As much as I loathe Coons, I’m not aware of anyone being aghast over Russians at the National Prayer Breakfast.”
That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be. I don’t see why anyone should like Russian oligarchs any better than multinational corporations.
You’re not objecting to multinational corps being there. You’re just trying to change the subject.
again, you show up to whatabout, minimize, or support Russian infiltration into our democracy. You know they weren’t very good at socialism right?
It is clear now why Comrade Coons is so interested in “bipartisanship”. his future is tied to Dear Leader’s
“….Russian infiltration into our democracy.” blah blah blah -ben
Sorry you missed out on the Cold War. But J. Edgar Hoover and Red Scares are so last century. Get over it.
yeah, im super afraid of commies.
Don’t look in any mirrors..
Kline, Thomas Cletus.
To the gulag.
Whatever you say, obergrupenführer.
Wrong direction, but you’ve ruined the joke now anyhow.
Are you good?
That was to Kline, not you. I respond to all charges of “socialist” or “communist” or any such like with counter-charges of fascism or nazism. Saves time.
I hate the reply function.
It’s not a Red scare. It’s a Russian scare. They still have 1,500 nuclear warheads pointed at us. The Republicans like them because a lot of those rubles stolen from Russian taxpayers are landing here. Why you like them is the question on the floor.
Why do you continue to deny that Russia is an adversary? Why do you try to derail any discussion of such, and with such diligence? What are you hiding?
I object to multinational corps no matter what they do. You’d know that if you were reading honestly instead of trying to play “gotcha” all the time.
You, in fact, are the one changing the subject to deflect from criticism of Russia. As always.
That too.
Speaking of Russians and oligarchs , does anyone watch any of the Russian made series on Netflix? They actually have pretty good production value and they reveal many idiosyncrasies of Russian culture and morals.
The Sniffer is a good series, also Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon is about the son of a Russian oligarch who gets in trouble with all his partying ways and is made to work for the police as punishment. The Sniffer is a series about a guy with an uncanny sense of smell who helps the police solve crimes.
Oh, and a current event that sort of relates to the topic of Russians and the Oligarchy is the record signing of American Christian Pulisic to Chelsea Football Club, who are owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch with a sketchy past.
RSE,
teevee is programing. Turn it off.
Bottom line it that Chris Coons’ National Prayer Breakfast has been undermining our democracy. It happens again this Feb.
Jason,
If all of <<< “O.N.E.” >>> Russian woman out of 3,500 in attendance can “undermine our democracy”, either we already have an undermined democracy or a undermined sense of proportion.
Nobody is saying we don’t. That doesn’t excuse Russian activity against the U.S. for anybody except you.
Sure it is cancer but it isn’t pancreatic cancer, so who cares.
She was an clandestine agent from Russia working to funnel money through the NRA into the US political system. The fact that she’s only one person is really irrelevant.
I get that Trump is a symptom of neoliberalism. He wasn’t installed by Russia. He exploited the problems we refuse to address. So focusing on “Russia, Russia, Russia” can be frustrating.
But don’t be daft. This woman was basically a spy. The fact that she’s only one person doesn’t make it less bad.