The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2 Florida men tied to Giuliani arrested
Two Florida businessmen tied to President Donald Trump’s lawyer and the Ukraine investigation were charged Thursday with federal campaign finance violations. The indictments relate to a $325,000 donation to a group supporting Trump’s reelection and mark the first criminal charges related to the Ukraine controversy. The situation
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, associates of Rudy Giuliani, were arrested Wednesday night trying to flee the country with oneway tickets at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, according to Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Parnas and Fruman face a four-count indictment that includes charges of conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records.
Two other men, David Correia, a U.S. businessman, and Andrew Kukushkin, a Ukrainian-born U.S. citizen, are also charged in the case.
Who are they
The men had key roles in Giuliani’s efforts to launch a Ukrainian corruption investigation against Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter. House Democrats subpoenaed Parnas and Fruman on Thursday for documents they have so far refused to produce to three House committees.
What it means
Records show that Parnas and Fruman used wire transfers from a corporate entity they controlled to make the $325,000 donation to the America First Action committee in 2018. The money enabled the relatively unknown entrepreneurs to quickly gain access to the highest levels of the Republican Party, including face-to-face meetings with Trump at the White House and Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Prosecutors also allege that Parnas urged a U.S. congressman to seek the ouster of Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, at the behest of Ukrainian government officials. That happened about the same time that Parnas and Fruman committed to raising more than $20,000 for the congressman.
The congressman wasn’t identified by name in court papers, but the donations match campaign finance reports for former Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican who lost his reelection bid in November 2018. Parnas and Fruman had several meetings with Sessions and at the meetings, Parnas lobbied the congressman to advocate for the removal of Yovanovitch, Berman said. Trump referred to the ambassador in his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Why it matters
While the indictments do not suggest wrongdoing by the president, they are likely to add fuel to the House impeachment inquiry, raising additional questions about whether those close to Trump and Giuliani sought to use their influence to affect U.S. foreign policy.