Parkland’s David Hogg sends ‘thoughts and prayers’ to the NRA’s ‘PR team’ after accused Russian agent pleads guilty

Parkland, Fla., school shooting survivor David Hogg offered “thoughts and prayers” to the public relations team at the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Thursday after a Russian woman with ties to the group pleaded guilty in federal court to acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

Thoughts and prayers to the NRAs PR team pic.twitter.com/jC7ckgYnRN

— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) December 13, 2018

Maria Butina, 30, was arrested and charged earlier this year, originally pleading not guilty to accusations that she sought to infiltrate and influence American political organizations, including the NRA.

{mosads}Hogg survived the Feb. 14 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which killed 17 people.

He and his classmates have since become outspoken critics of the NRA in the battle for gun-law reform.

Hogg has mocked the NRA and spokeswoman Dana Loesch on Twitter over news reports on Butina.

The young people will win. https://t.co/zchi7EE2b7

— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) December 10, 2018

Care to comment on the NRA conspiring against American people with Russia? @DLoesch

I for one can’t wait to see LEOs raid your HQ https://t.co/7sNvM5kBp0

— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) December 10, 2018

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Butina traveled to attend a “Gun Rights Organization convention,” later identified as a NRA convention, in 2015. Butina also allegedly invited powerful NRA members to Moscow.

The NRA has not made a public statement about Butina since her arrest. The Hill has reached out for comment regarding her guilty plea.

Butina admitted in a District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday that she conspired with and acted under the direction of a Russian government official to establish unofficial lines of communications with people able to influence U.S. politics leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

The court documents list an American as her co-conspirator, identified by her attorneys as Paul Erickson, a GOP political operative with whom Butina had a romantic relationship.

She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.