Maria Butina, the recently indicted Russian national accused of being an agent of Russia, told the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this year that Russian billionaire Konstantin Nikolaev had backed her financially, a source familiar with her testimony told CNN.
Butina made international headlines last week when the Justice Department announced her arrest and a grand jury formally approved charges of conspiracy and acting as a foreign agent. The federal case has added to a growing picture of undisclosed foreign attempts to lobby in the US and alleged Russian influence in the political system.
