Two men tied to Giuliani, Ukraine probe arrested
WASHINGTON — Two Florida businessmen tied to President Donald Trump’s lawyer and the Ukraine impeachment investigation were charged Thursday with federal campaign finance violations.
The charges relate to a $325,000 donation to a group supporting Trump’s reelection.
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, said to be associates of Rudy Giuliani, were arrested Wednesday waiting to board an international flight at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, according to Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. No destination was disclosed.
Parnas and Fruman were arrested on a four-count indictment that includes charges of conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records. The men had key roles in Giuliani’s efforts in the investigation of Ukrainian corruption involving Democratic presidential contender
Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
The indictments mark the first criminal charges related to the Ukraine controversy. They do not suggest wrongdoing by the president.
Trump has dismissed the impeachment inquiry as baseless and politically motivated. As he was leaving the White House for a political rally in Minneapolis, Trump said he didn’t know Parnas or Fruman and hadn’t spoken with Giuliani about them. “We have nothing to do with it,” Trump said.
Giuliani said he couldn’t comment but didn’t represent the men in campaign finance matters.
A donation to the Trump-allied PAC was part of a flurry of political spending tied to Parnas and Fruman, with at least $478,000 in donations to GOP campaigns.