Rabat, Aug. 20 -- It was a media bombshell, the news that stirred up policy circles in Washington DC, scandalizing some and pushing others to ask for accountability: Maria Butina, an alleged Russian spy, had unrestricted access to the most powerful conservative circles of American politics.

How a David Keene-led NRA helped Russia influence US elections

Faced with robust evidence from American intelligence, Butina pleaded guilty in late 2018, acknowledging that she used her solid relations with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to lay the groundwork for a more Kremlin-friendly US leadership.

The story reverberated in the entire American commentariat, shocking conservatives and outraging liberals. the Washington Post reported , Politi...