JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRIAL OF EX-GIULIANI ASSOCIATE

A one-time associate of Donald Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani headed for trial on Tuesday in a case that could shed light on how campaign finance operates behind the scenes, including during the Republican former president’s failed 2020 reelection bid. Jury selection began in Manhattan federal court in the case against Lev Parnas, shown, and his co-defendant Andrey Kukushkin. The Ukraine-born Parnas has been charged with concealing an illegal US$325,000 donation to support Trump’s unsuccessful re-election bid. Parnas and Kukushkin were also charged with illegally using donations to U.S. politicians from a wealthy Russian businessman, Andrey Muraviev, to obtain legal, recreational marijuana distribution licences.