Welcome back to Trump Watch. The legal standoff between President Donald Trump and Congress escalated this week, threatening to draw the two branches into an open court fight. But first, we're turning your attention to a sentencing hearing this morning in a case that has Russia-watchers on their toes. Thanks as always for reading, and remember you can always email me or follow me on Twitter.

 

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Maria Butina Heads Back to Court

A federal judge in Washington this morning is set to sentence Maria Butina, the Russian gun rights activist who cozied up to conservatives in the run-up to the 2016 election. Butina pleaded guilty in December to a single charge of conspiring to act as a foreign agent of Russia without notifying the U.S. government. Prosecutors, as part of a plea agreement, agreed to drop a second count of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, and Butina was required to cooperate with the government.