“A Sioux Falls man who used his connections in the conservative movement to help his Russian girlfriend gain political access was sentenced Monday to serve seven years in federal prison” Argus Leader reports.
“Paul Erickson was not charged with any wrongdoing involving his efforts to help Maria Butina make inroads with political contacts. Instead, he was accused of defrauding investors in various schemes over the last 20 years.”
“Butina, a young woman who portrayed herself as a gun rights activist, was deported last fall after serving time for failing to register as a foreign agent. Her role in his downfall did not come up Monday.”
Flashback: “[Butina] had ‘expressed disdain for continuing to cohabitate with’ [Erickson], according to documents seized by the FBI, and got him to do her university homework” BBC News reported in July 2018 after their arrests.