Overview

• Nomma Zarubina, a Russian political consultant based in New York, was arrested by the FBI on November 21 on charges of making false statements about her alleged connections to Russia's FSB intelligence agency.
• Two days before her arrest, Zarubina spoke at a conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where she interacted with Canadian MPs, academics, and policymakers at an event critical of the Kremlin.
• The FBI alleges that Zarubina signed an agreement to assist the FSB in cultivating relationships with American targets, including journalists and military personnel, to promote Russian interests.
• Zarubina denies working for Russian intelligence, claiming that her intent was to cooperate with the FBI and share information, though she admitted to withholding details in two instances.
• Organizers of the Ottawa forum stated they were unaware of any red flags regarding Zarubina and noted that she had previously participated in other Western events without issue.