fruman parnas ukr

<div style=""><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">=</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">see rudy</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">see bak</font></div><div style=""><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">an 2 23</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">During the United States' 2020 presidential race, Ukraine-born Lev Parnas was still an ally of then-President Donald Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. But that was before Russian forces, on February 24, 2022, launched a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine on orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">These days, Parnas regrets allying himself with Giuliani, Trump and the MAGA movement. And in an <a href="https://time.com/6255090/lev-parnas-giuliani-trump-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">article published by Time</a> on February 13, Parnas describes the role he played in Trump and Giuliani’s efforts to "undermine" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"I was used by Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in ways that helped pave the way for Putin to invade Ukraine, my native land," the <a href="https://time.com/6255090/lev-parnas-giuliani-trump-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">51-year-old Parnas laments</a>. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"If Trump and Giuliani's plans had worked, the Ukrainians might not have had the necessary weapons, medical equipment, and other supplies they needed to fight back."</span></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/lev-parnas-guilty" target="self" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><strong>Rudy Giuliani henchman Lev Parnas found guilty on all counts</strong></a></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2021 and 2022, Parnas was found guilty on criminal charges that ranged from fraud to illegally funneling non-U.S. money to Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. He was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison but only served four and is now confined at home.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"My connection to Trump came through Giuliani, with whom I had done business, and through the large campaign donations I had made to Trump's campaign," <a href="https://time.com/6255090/lev-parnas-giuliani-trump-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Parnas recalls</a>. "Giuliani, who desperately wanted to be secretary of state, recruited me to help him further Trump's interests overseas. I had no official position, but my primary task was to be their go-between with Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs and government officials. In retrospect, I concluded that my real job was to help undermine and destabilize the Ukrainian government."</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas believes that Trump's disdain for Ukraine’s government and affinity for Putin was partly motivated by his animosity for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"Trump and Giuliani argued that Ukraine's leaders were corrupt and anti-American," <a href="https://time.com/6255090/lev-parnas-giuliani-trump-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Parnas explains</a>, "but I believe there were other reasons Trump had it in for them.<b> He viewed them as political enemies who had supported Hillary Clinton in 2016</b>…. Trump acted on his hatred of Ukraine as he tried to improve his reelection chances in 2020. The plan that Giuliani and Trump put into operation was simple: Giuliani sent me to collect compromising information that the Eastern European oligarchs had on Hunter Biden's activities in Ukraine to use against Joe Biden…. Trump didn't care if this made Ukraine vulnerable to Russia."</span></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/04/rudy-giuliani-raided-2652835055" target="self" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><strong>Legal expert lays out the most important 'takeaways' from the FBI’s Rudy Giuliani raid</strong></a></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Although Parnas supported Trump in 2020, he applauds the Biden administration for helping Ukraine militarily in 2022 and 2023.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"Trump weakened Zelensky, but fortunately, Biden won the 2020 election, and Ukraine received a steady supply of weapons," <a href="https://time.com/6255090/lev-parnas-giuliani-trump-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Parnas writes</a>. "Since my arrest, I have done my best to help the people of Ukraine with charitable works, but Giuliani is still peddling his version of events. And even now, Republican politicians are campaigning to stop the pipeline of weapons and medical supplies. They are just trying to please Trump, exactly as Giuliani does. And whether they realize it or not, they are making it easier for Putin and his gang to steal everything they can from Ukraine."</span></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">READ MORE: </span><a href="https://www.alternet.org/trump-putin-2659368002/" target="self" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">How 'existential threat' Trump echoes 'war criminal' Putin’s talking points</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">: foreign policy analyst</span></a></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Read Lev Parnas’ <a href="https://time.com/6255090/lev-parnas-giuliani-trump-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">full Time article at this link</a>.</p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">an 1220</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lev Parnas, a former business associate of Rudy Giuliani, made explosive allegations against outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr in a federal court filing on Tuesday. Parnas, who is under indictment for campaign finance violations and fraud charges, has accused Barr of timing his arrest last fall in order to prevent him from testifying at House impeachment hearings last fall.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The motion was filed in the Southern District of New York by attorneys for Parnas, a Ukrainian-born businessman who in 2018 and 2019 ran political errands in Ukraine on behalf of Giuliani and Trump. Parnas argues that his indictment last October was part of an intervention by Barr "to protect the President and thwart [Parnas'] potential testimony in the impeachment inquiry."</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Parnas filed his complaint as reports broke that federal prosecutors in New York have discussed with Justice Department officials in Washington seeking a warrant for Giuliani's electronic communications, and, according to a person familiar with the case, at least one of the former New York mayor's cell phones. Approval from higher-ups at Justice is required before prosecutors may request a search warrant for any materials that may be protected by attorney-client privilege. It is unclear whether such approval has been granted in this case.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">According to multiple <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-impeachment-trial-ended-federal-prosecutors-took-new-steps-in-probe-related-to-giuliani-according-to-people-familiar-with-case/2020/02/14/7893bfb0-4e8a-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">reports</a> and individuals familiar with the case, Giuliani's business dealings abroad have been part of a federal probe led by the FBI and the Southern District of New York — the very office Giuliani once led as U.S. attorney. Those investigations grew out of the arrest last October of Parnas and business partner Igor Fruman, who were detained at Dulles International Airport outside Washington as they waited to board an overseas flight. The two men were arrested just hours after meeting with Giuliani at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. According to the court filing, Giuliani was originally supposed to join Parnas and Fruman on their trip to Ukraine, but canceled earlier that day. Two other Giuliani associates also slated to make the trip had canceled a few days earlier, according to the document.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Prosecutors charged Parnas and Fruman, along with two other associates, with conspiring to make campaign donations on someone else's behalf and violating the federal prohibition on soliciting donations from foreign sources. A superseding indictment this September added fraud charges in connection with their company, Fraud Guarantee, which contracted with Giuliani to do promotional work. Giuliani has not been charged in connection with any aspect of the case. Parnas and Fruman have both pleaded not guilty.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In the new filing, Parnas lays out a series of events that he believes Barr helped engineer to secure his silence.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In late September, Parnas received a letter from House investigators asking him to preserve documents and prepare for a deposition. When Parnas told Giuliani about this, he was directed to attorney John Dowd, who had previously represented President Trump in connection with Robert Mueller's investigation of Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chair now serving time in prison. After securing <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1217219982872010752" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">the president's personal approval</a>, Dowd took Parnas as a client.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On Oct. 8, a Tuesday, Dowd sent an email to a number of attorneys affiliated with Trump's defense team, calling the president "Boss" and promising that Dowd would "eliminate any doubt" that Parnas and Fruman would answer questions before Congress. Dowd then sent a letter to House investigators informing them that Parnas and Fruman would not appear for their scheduled deposition on Thursday, Oct. 10.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The next day, Parnas and Fruman were arrested. Two of the attorneys copied on Dowd's email were the same people who had been scheduled to fly with them to Europe. That night, Barr, who had been informed about the indictment in advance, <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/why-is-william-barr-meeting-with-rupert-murdoch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">met</a> Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch for dinner in New York. The attorney general visited the Southern District offices the following morning on what aides described as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-10-10/donors-arrested-giuliani-ukraine-campaign-finance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">a "routine" visit</a>.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">At the time of the arrest, however, the federal investigation into Parnas was not over, and did not in fact conclude for 11 more months, until a grand jury returned the fraud charges. It is not entirely clear why an immediate arrest was deemed necessary, although Parnas was described as a flight risk — on a trip the president's personal attorney was supposed to make with him.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Days after the arrest, Giuliani parted ways with his own attorney, Jon Sale, a prominent Miami lawyer Giuliani said he had retained for impeachment defense. Giuliani previously told Salon that Sale had been the person who first connected him with Parnas in 2018. He and Sale also shared a significant client: Venezuelan financier Alejandro Betancourt, who was under investigation in a multibillion-dollar money laundering probe and also knew Parnas.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Within a few weeks of these events, Parnas fired Dowd, after what he later described in a TV interview as a jailhouse loyalty shakedown.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"I called Dowd to come there. And I started seeing in the process of the bail stuff, the way things were going on ... I didn't feel they were trying to get me out," Parnas told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow in January. "John Dowd, instead of comforting me and trying to calm me down and telling me I'm going to be OK, he started talking to me like a drill sergeant."</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Were they telling you to sacrifice yourself to protect the president?" Maddow asked.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"That's the way I felt," Parnas replied. He dismissed Dowd along with Kevin Downing, another former Manafort attorney. In subsequent months, Parnas apparently turned over evidence to House impeachment investigators, but was never called to testify, likely because of his tarnished reputation following the arrest.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Parnas' motion seeks to convince the court to turn over numerous documents about the circumstances surrounding his investigation and arrest, as well as the investigation (or lack thereof) of other people associated with the Ukraine affair.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">To make his case, Parnas must show that Barr improperly intervened in the indictment. His filing cites numerous instances of the attorney general improperly inserting himself on Trump's behalf in other legal matters, such as the cases of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone and Trump sexual-assault accuser E. Jean Carroll. Parnas must also show that he and his associates were singled out for these campaign finance violations where others involved, such as the people who actually made the donations, were not.</p><p style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The court filing quotes a voicemail Giuliani left with Parnas' attorney, the second half of which was apparently captured accidentally after Giuliani forgot to hang up. In the message, Giuliani asks whether it's possible to speak with or about Parnas, and leaves his number. After a pause, according to the transcript, Giuliani can be heard telling his attorney, who apparently was also present, "That's the soon-to-be-gotten-rid-of number." The two carry on a short conversation, then the voicemail ends.</p><div class="around-the-web" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="from-your-siteheadline" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31); font-size: 0px; font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;">FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline-block; width: 589.446px; list-style: none;"><li class="from-your-siteitem"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/09/bill-is-an-authoritarian-fanatic-intent-on-establishing-christian-theocracy-in-america/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(28, 28, 28); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 14px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Bill Barr is an authoritarian fanatic intent on establishing Christian ... ›</a></li><li class="from-your-siteitem"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/12/bill-barr-interview/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(28, 28, 28); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 14px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Bill Barr's years-long charade falls apart in an accidentally revealing ... ›</a></li><li class="from-your-siteitem"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/12/bill-barr-special-counsel/" class="from-your-sitelink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(28, 28, 28); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 14px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Bill Barr just publicly shot down Trump's demand for a special ... ›</a></li></ul><div class="around-the-webheadline" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31); font-size: 0px; font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase; margin-top: 10px;">RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline-block; width: 589.446px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(28, 28, 28); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 12px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Disputing Trump, Barr says no widespread election fraud ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/us/politics/barr-considering-resigning.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(28, 28, 28); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 12px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Barr Is Said to Be Weighing Whether to Leave Before Trump's Term ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/11/goodbye-attorney-general-bill-barr.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(28, 28, 28); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s; font-weight: lighter; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 12px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif">Goodbye, Attorney General Bill Barr. ›</a></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/mike-pence-denied-knowing-lev-parnas-then-his-lawyer-shared-a-video-of-them-together/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/mike-pence-denied-knowing-lev-parnas-then-his-lawyer-shared-a-video-of-them-together/</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Mike Pence denied knowing Lev Parnas — then his lawyer shared a video of them together</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by Igor Derysh / Salon January 21, 2020</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An attorney for Lev Parnas, the indicted former Rudy Guliani associate, shared a video of his client meeting Vice President Mike Pence after Pence denied knowing his client.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Pence does indeed know the guy,” Parnas attorney Joseph Bondy wrote on Twitter as he published a 23-second clip of Parnas alongside Pence and his wife.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The video, set to the song “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire, shows Parnas holding Karen Pence’s hand before she says something to him and pats him on the back. Parnas is seen extending his hand toward Pence, apparently waiting for a handshake.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bondy provided no details about the context of the video but added a quote from European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s testimony to Congress, in which he said that “everyone was in the loop” on the Ukraine scheme that led to President Donald Trump’s impeachment.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Joseph A. Bondy</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@josephabondy</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">.@VP Mike Pence does indeed know the guy. “”Everyone was in the loop.“ -Gordon Sondland” -Lev Parnas #LevRemembers #LetLevSpeak #TheyAllKnew</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Embedded video</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As he urges Congress to allow Parnas to testify, Bondy has shared numerous videos, all set to catchy tunes, showing his client meeting with the president, as well as his family members, Cabinet officials and congressional allies.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bondy published the video of Pence after the vice president denied knowing Parnas.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>“I don’t know the guy,” Pence told reporters, calling Parnas’ claim that he was aware of the Ukraine scheme “completely false.”</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas, who was indicted on charges of illegally funneling foreign money to Republicans, told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow last week that Pence was aware of the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I’m going to use a famous quote from [Ambassador Gordon] Sondland,” he said. “Everybody was in the loop.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas told Maddow that Pence canceled his scheduled trip to attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s inauguration after Parnas warned an aide of Zelensky that the vice president would not attend if an investigation into Biden was not announced.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“The announcement was the key at that time because of the inauguration, and I told him Pence would not show up, nobody would show up to his inauguration,” Parnas said. “It was particularly Vice President Mike Pence.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas claimed that Pence canceled the trip after Parnas spoke with Zelensky adviser Sergei Schaffer.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“It was after my phone call. The conversation that I laid out to Mr. Schafer was basically what I was told to do by Giuliani and the president,” Parnas said. “And then afterwards, I got back to them, saying he was going to get back to me later tonight.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas said that Schafer blocked his number on WhatsApp.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I remember Rudy going, ‘OK. They’ll see.’ To my awareness, Trump called to say, ‘Make sure Pence doesn’t go [to the inauguration],'” Parnas told Maddow.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Asked if Pence canceled his trip because of the disagreement, Parnas replied, “It was, 100 percent. I know it was, 100 percent.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Amee Vanderpool</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@girlsreallyrule</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here is Lev Parnas confirming that Mike Pence knew exactly why his trip to Zelensky's inauguration was canceled and why Pence was going to Poland in place of Trump and was complicit in assisting with Trump's quid pro quo with Ukraine. #MaddowParnas </font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Everybody was in the loop."</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Embedded video</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham denied the allegation and called the former Giuliani associate who aided the shadow diplomacy effort in Ukraine a discredited witness.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“These allegations are being made by a man who is currently out on bail for federal crimes and is desperate to reduce his exposure to prison,” she said. “The facts haven’t changed: The president did nothing wrong and this impeachment, which was manufactured and carried out by the Democrats has been a sham from the start.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But Jennifer Williams, Pence’s top adviser on Russia, testified to Congress that she was surprised when Pence’s trip to the inauguration was abruptly canceled and learned that the move was directed by Trump himself.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“My understanding from my colleague — and, again, I wasn’t there for the conversation — was that the president asked the vice president not to attend,” she testified.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry traveled to the inauguration in his stead.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas told Maddow that <b>Perry told Giuliani he would attend the inauguration and asked him what he should discuss with Zelensky. Perry told Giuliani that he got Zelensky to agree to publicly announce the investigations Giuliani had sought after the trip, Parnas claimed.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas said Giuliani later “blew his lid” when Zelensky failed to mention the Bidens when he announced a wide-ranging corruption investigation.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“It wasn’t supposed to be a corruption announcement,” Parnas said. “It [had] to be about Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Amee Vanderpool</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@girlsreallyrule</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lev Parnas says Rick Perry played a role with Ukraine and that he and Giuliani communicated about the investigations Trump wanted and Perry was sent in to push Zelensky for the quid pro quo.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">There is no doubt now that the Senate must call witnesses, including Giuliani and Perry.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Embedded video</font></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/devin-nunes-lev-parnas-trump-aide_n_5e2285e8c5b632117613ed0d"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.huffpost.com/entry/devin-nunes-lev-parnas-trump-aide_n_5e2285e8c5b632117613ed0d</font></a></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New Records Bare Extensive Links Between Devin Nunes Aide And Lev Parnas</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Texts link the Ukraine pressure scheme to the office of the top GOP congressman on the House Intelligence Committee before the impeachment hearings.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">headshot</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Mary Papenfuss</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Newly released documents reveal extensive contacts between a key aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The frequent communications between Parnas and Nunes’s aide Derek Harvey were revealed in records provided by Parnas and released Friday night by the U.S. House.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The information is particularly problematic for the GOP congressman — the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee — because of his role in the House impeachment hearings concerning Donald Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to announce an investigation into the president’s political rival Joe Biden. Nunes participated in the hearings and strongly defended Trump, even though the records indicate he may have been involved in the operation. Nunes has denied any role in the scheme to press Ukraine to investigate Biden.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>But text messages released Friday between Parnas and Harvey indicate that Nunes’s office was aware of the operation at the heart of the impeachment inquiry and that he sought to use the information Parnas was collecting</b>. Texts show that Parnas was working last spring to set up calls for Harvey with the Ukrainian prosecutors who were allegedly providing information about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter to Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney. </font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas, who has been indicted for alleged campaign finance violations, worked to strong-arm Ukraine into launching a Biden investigation. He said he was following Trump’s wishes, communicated to him by Giuliani. </font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow earlier this week that, although Nunes “couldn’t be in the spotlight,” he “wanted to help out” in the Ukraine operation. (See the video above.) Parnas said he was put in touch then with Harvey, who “knew everything” already when the two men talked, according to Parnas.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas wrote to Harvey in a text on April 19: “Do you want to interview the general prosecutor who got [ditched] by Biden? Also the anti corruption prosecutor? Let me know.”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Does tomorrow work?” Harvey responded, according to a text.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Texts also show that Harvey met with Parnas and Giuliani at the Trump hotel in Washington. Parnas told Maddow he met “several times” with Nunes at the hotel.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas told Maddow he was “in shock” when he watched the impeachment hearings and “saw Devin Nunes sitting up there” with Harvey. “I texted my attorney. I said, ‘I can’t believe this is happening’ ... because they were involved in getting all this stuff on Biden.”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He added: “It’s hard to see them lie like that. It’s scary.”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A House report last month on Trump’s impeachment also noted several direct calls between Nunes and Parnas, according to logs.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Natasha Bertrand</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@NatashaBertrand</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More calls between Devin Nunes and Lev Parnas, including one that lasted 8 minutes on April 12.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nunes said after the House report that he could not recall ever speaking with Parnas. But he told Fox News on Wednesday that his memory was refreshed after he reviewed his records.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I checked it with my records, and it was very clear,” he said. “I remember that call, which was very odd, random, talking about random things. And I said, ‘Great, you know, just talk to my staff,’ and boom, boom, boom. That’s just normal operating procedure.”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But there were several phone calls, according to records noted in the House impeachment report.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><div class="cardheadlines" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><h2 class="cardheadlinetext" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.11; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a class="cardheadline" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-lev-parnas-documents_n_5e22399ec5b674e44b983774" data-ylk="g:ae1a1798-0767-3b9e-9577-a35f20b60bcb;itc:0;cpos:13;pos:2;elm:hdln" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">House Democrats Release More Lev Parnas Documents</font></a></h2></div><div class="carddescription" style="margin: 4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.25;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The documents include more texts about efforts to track then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.</font></div><div class="cardbyline" style="margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.08;"><div class="author-list" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap;"><span aria-hidden="true" style="white-space: pre;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By</font></span><div class="cardbylineauthor" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; white-space: pre;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><div class="cardbylineauthorname-title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/mollie-reilly" aria-label="By Mollie Reilly" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Mollie Reilly </font></a></div></div><span style="white-space: pre;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">and</font></span><div class="cardbylineauthor" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; white-space: pre;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><div class="cardbylineauthorname-title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/author/ryan-grenoble" aria-label="By Ryan Grenoble" data-ylk="itc:0;cpos:13;pos:3" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Ryan Grenoble</font></a></div><div class="cardbylineauthorname-title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">----</font></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/lev-parnas-spins-wild-crazy-stories-and-most-of-them-are-true/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/lev-parnas-spins-wild-crazy-stories-and-most-of-them-are-true/</font></a></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Lev Parnas spins wild, crazy stories — and most of them are true</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by Heather Digby Parton / Salon January 17, 2020</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Following the rules of an anachronistic 18th-century ritual, the House managers walked in formation to the Senate to deliver the articles of impeachment on Thursday. The sergeant at arms informed the senators that if they speak during the trial they could be imprisoned, and then the chief justice arrived in his robes accompanied by four senators. He then administered the constitutionally prescribed oath to deliver impartial justice to the assembled senators, after which, one by one, they signed their names to a book. The only thing missing was the white wigs.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meanwhile,  the president was shriek-tweeting in all caps, “I JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL!”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It was weird. But then, what isn’t weird in this administration?</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Only in the Trump era would we have a bombshell witness appear on the night before the trial, loaded down with pictures and video and written evidence, much of it in Russian. I’m speaking of Lev Parnas, of course, who served as Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani’s bagman in the plot to extort a political smear job against Joe Biden from the Ukrainian government.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas was arrested in October for campaign finance violations, along with his partner Igor Fruman. But until federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York returned records they had seized during the arrest, and a judge cleared them to be sent to the House Intelligence Committee last week, we didn’t know specifically what he’d been up to in the Ukraine scandal.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On Monday, the House released some of the documents to the public, which included text messages — lots of text messages — between Parnas, Giuliani and any number of other players. The trial starts on Tuesday so presumably, the lawyers working for the House managers are pulling all-nighters to put together the timeline based upon all the records provided by their own witnesses, FOIA requests and Parnas to both corroborate his story and present an understandable narrative of what happened in Kyiv and in Washington.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">They have not interviewed Parnas, as far as I know, but he’s been giving TV interviews so they should be able to determine some of what they can corroborate and what they can’t. He’s an accused criminal, but as TV prosecutors have been saying on a loop for the past few days, it’s usually criminals who give evidence against other criminals. They’re the ones who know where their fellow criminals buried the bodies.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas revealed a lot of juicy details in his interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. It’s hard to know right now what was most important. There’s a ton of color about the Trump hotel in Washington being essentially like a mobsters’ “social club” where hangers-on gather in the lobby and the bar, while insiders get invited into the inner sanctums where the real deals are made. It’s a GOP power center that just happens to put money directly into the president’s personal bank account. Imagine that.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas also claimed that the shocking texts between him and a fringe character named Robert Hyde, in which Hyde indicated that he had Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, under surveillance, were all just a joke. Apparently, both the U.S. government and the Ukrainian government weren’t entirely convinced, since the FBI “visited” Hyde on Thursday and the Ukrainians finally gave Trump his investigation, although not quite the one he wanted. They have also announced they are looking into this allegation.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The new information I find most interesting at first glance is that we now know the withholding of military aid and a White House visit in exchange for the announcement of an investigation into Biden and the 2016 election was only one of three different quid-pro-quos in this plot.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It’s been a puzzle from the very beginning as to why the administration was so determined to push Yovanovitch out of her post. She was something of an anti-corruption crusader, but it hasn’t been clear exactly why Giuliani and his henchmen pushed so hard to get her fired.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b style="">According to text messages provided by Parnas, it was just another transaction. Getting rid of Yovanovitch was the price they had to pay to obtain the cooperation of one of the crooked Ukrainian prosecutors, Yuri Lutsenko,</b> who agreed to investigate Biden if they delivered. Despite all their hard work getting Yovanovitch fired — and it was really hard, according to Parnas — Lutsenko’s patron, then-President Petro Poroshenko, lost the election and was replaced last year by Volodymyr Zelensky. (Out of office, Lutsenko later pulled a Trump and reneged on the agreement, telling the press he never found anything on Biden.)</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The other quid pro quo is more sinister. Giuliani got word that Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian gas oligarch with ties to the Kremlin, had dirt on Burisma, the firm that had Joe Biden’s son Hunter on its board</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Naturally, Giuliani was excited. Firtash was being represented by Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, two long-time GOP legal operatives who had been involved in the Ukraine plot, along with a right-wing reporter John Solomon. Firtash wanted to avoid extradition from Austria to the U.S., where he is wanted on bribery and racketeering charges. According to Parnas, Firtash agreed to share his information in exchange for having his extradition order lifted. Giuliani, Toensing and diGenova all worked together to try to make that happen.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Elements of this story were already known, but Parnas suggested in his interview with Maddow that Attorney General Bill Barr was also “on the team.</b>” He didn’t offer any direct evidence of this and the Department of Justice denies knowing anything about it. But it once more raises the question of why Trump told Zelensky during the “perfect call” to cooperate with both Giuliani and Barr.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas said he came forward because he’s afraid of Barr’s Justice Department, which is astonishing considering the lowlife elements he’s been palling around with. Since Parnas is under federal indictment that seems like a reckless thing to say. But he says everyone is running scared since Trump managed to consolidate power after naming Barr, so his only real hope lies in going public.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is a crazy story but we already knew that most of it is true. As tantalizing as these new details are, they don’t entirely fill in the picture of Rudy Giuliani’s scheme and how Trump’s Washington works. What was true a month ago remains true today: The president of the United States and his personal lawyer plotted to extort the leaders of a foreign country into interfering in the presidential election by smearing his political rival. New information comes out every day and none of it will ever change that fact.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Heather Digby Parton, also known as “Digby,” is a contributing writer to Salon. She was the winner of the 2014 Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/bill-barr-has-been-covering-up-lev-parnas-explosive-evidence-for-the-past-three-months/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/bill-barr-has-been-covering-up-lev-parnas-explosive-evidence-for-the-past-three-months/</font></a></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Bill Barr has been covering up Lev Parnas’ explosive evidence for the past three months</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lev Parnas and his attorney appear on The Rachel Maddow show.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by Joshua Holland January 16, 2020</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Among the eye-popping revelations from Lev Parnas, a low-level Republican hustler and associate of Rudy Giuliani who has been thrust into the spotlight of Trump’s impeachment, is that the president* “knew exactly what was going on” as his flunkies tried to coerce the Ukrainian government into opening a sham investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter–as did Vice President Mike Pence–and that <b>Attorney General Bill Barr “was basically on the team” along with Giuliani</b>, Parnas, his associates Igor Fruman and Semyon Kislin, and lawyers (and frequent Fox News guests) Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova, among others</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>It is important to understand that not only did Parnas implicate Barr in the corrupt scheme, but Barr’s Justice Department has been in possession of the trove of documents and recordings that Parnas just turned over to House investigators for several months. Parnas was arrested by federal agents back in October with six electronic devices, and authorities confiscated another eight from his Florida home shortly thereafter.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Democrats requested documents from Parnas, Fruman and Kislin back in September,  prior to their arrests. Barr’s Justice Department has fought those efforts tooth-and-nail–including Congressional subpoenas of Giuliani and subsequently of Parnas himself–according to <b>Barr’s theory that the president and his advisors enjoy absolute immunity from Congressional probes. Parnas’s attorneys had to ask a federal judge to allow their client to comply with Congressional document requests.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">If Parnas’s allegations are true, then Barr was a participant in a conspiracy to violate the law and has been actively covering up evidence of that scheme. But it’s important to note here that while Parnas has documentary evidence to support much of what he has said on the record, the claim that Barr was personally “on the team” has yet to be corroborated.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>A Justice Department spokesperson issued a denial, but there are some aspects of Parnas’s narrative that fit with what we know from previous reporting.</b></font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On Wednesday night, Parnas told Rachel Maddow that he and Giuliana had cut a deal with Dmytro Firtash, a Ukrainian oligarch who has been holed up in Vienna for six years fighting extradition to the US on corruption charges. </b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">According to Parnas’s account, they promised Firtash that the Justice Department would make the charges against him disappear in exchange for fodder to use against Biden. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“We had to promise Firtash something,” he told the MSNBC host. “It was basically telling him we knew his case is worthless here and that he’s being prosecuted for no reason and basically it could get taken care of….It was all connected At the end of the day, the agenda was to make sure that the Ukrainians announced the Biden investigation.” He added that Barr was “in the loop” on this offer.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last September, Firtash deposited $1 million into Parnas’s wife’s account for unknown purposes.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Parnas subsequently retained Rudy Giuliani’s firm despite the fact that he was working for Giuliani. This was just days before Parnas departed for Kyiv on his “secret mission” for Trump, and The New York Times reports that having Rudy represent both Trump and Parnas was “a move that might afford their shared mission the confidentiality of attorney-client privilege.” Giuliani denies this account but Firtash’s payment to Parnas was established when prosecutors asked a judge to revoke the latter’s bail for failing to disclose it.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Although Barr ultimately decided not to intervene in the case, The Washington Post reported that Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova “secured a rare face-to-face meeting with Attorney General William P. Barr and other Justice Department officials to argue against the charges” last summer.</b> The DOJ also refused to respond to repeated questions over an 18-month period by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) about why Firtash had not yet been extradited, according to NBC.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of course, everything about Barr’s past would be consistent with his covering up Trump’s extortion scheme, if not actively participating in it. Recall that last September it was reported that “Barr has held private meetings overseas with foreign intelligence officials seeking their help in a Justice Department inquiry that President Trump hopes will discredit U.S. intelligence agencies’ examination of possible connections between Russia and members of the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.”</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/sean-hannity-and-fox-news-are-up-to-their-hair-plugs-in-the-lev-parnas-affair/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/sean-hannity-and-fox-news-are-up-to-their-hair-plugs-in-the-lev-parnas-affair/</font></a></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">no lnx</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><b>Sean Hannity and FOX News are up to their hair plugs in the Lev Parnas affair</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Written by News Corpse, Daily Kos January 17, 2020</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">With each new day there are new and damning revelations affirming Donald Trump’s criminal behavior related to Ukraine and efforts to manufacture dirt on Joe Biden and subvert the 2020 election. The latest bombshells come from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, whose nefarious activities include extorting Ukrainian President Zelensky and surveilling former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovich.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Parnas was interviewed on MSNBC Wednesday by Rachel Maddow in a wide ranging discussion that made it clear that Trump “knew exactly what was going on” and was lying about his feigned ignorance of Parnas and his mission. But the evidence of Trump’s guilt is abundant. Also interesting is the evidence of Hannity’s guilt, and that of Fox News.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Proof is emerging of Hannity’s relationship with the Giuliani Crew. Hannity himself is in bed with Parnas. They have had communications that resulted in Hannity tweeting about bogus allegations of Ukrainian interference in the U.S. election to help Hillary Clinton. That tweet was deleted, but remains archived</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. T</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">rump, however, didn’t delete his subsequent tweet promoting Hannity’s story on the subject that same night. Likewise, The Giuliani Crew also communicated with Don Trump Jr, who posted a tweet attacking Yovanovich. So their is an unbroken chain of propaganda circling around between Trump, Giuliani, his Ukraine mob, Fox News, and back to Trump and his crime family.</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><b>What’s more, Parnas had much to share about the complicity of Fox News in Trump’s plot to coerce Zelensky into helping him smear Biden. The Giuliani team worked with right-wing author John Solomon to disseminate their lies. At the time Solomon worked for The Hill, but is now employed by Fox News. So naturally Hannity unleashed a furious assault on Parnas and the network that hosted him</b>. Hannity’s rage was so intense that he lapsed into the sort of incoherent outbursts you might hear from a paranoid schizophrenic on a street corner shouting at passing cars (The video wouldn’t load on dKos, but you can see it here). He began…</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">“Yesterday, last-ditch effort, Hail Mary, smear job, yup the congenital liar attached new documents to the articles of impeachment. Including so-called evidence from a former Giuliani contact. Oh by the way on conspiracy TV. The guy is facing federal charges from the Southern District of New York. You don’t really want to mess with those people.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Did you follow that? Apparently Hannity is upset that new incriminating evidence about Trump has come out. But he can’t rebut any of it, so he unloads a barrage of nasty adjectives. He glosses over the fact that Parnas is working with Trump’s lawyer, but hones in on his having been indicted. And while Hannity is adamant that that’s a problem for Parnas, it doesn’t seem to be a problem for other Trump comrades who are under indictment or already convicted, including his campaign chairman Paul Manafort, his national security adviser Michael Flynn, his personal attorney Michael Cohen, and his fixer Roger Stone. Hannity continued…</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><b>“So [Parnas] goes right to state-run MSDNC conspiracy channel media.</b> Keep in mind when people like him, trying to stay out of jail, think about this, how many times have we heard from the liberals ‘oh you can’t waterboard, or use enhanced interrogation because people will say anything, they’ll lie to make it end.’ Well people trying to stay out of jail, in my humble opinion, they’ll say anything.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Now Hannity thinks that MSNBC is “state-run” media. You have to wonder what state Hannity thinks that it’s being run out of. It must be the “Deep State.” And it’s cute that Hannity is trying to connect an indicted defendant giving testimony to waterboarding. No one has tortured Parnas. He is simply doing what many defendants do when faced with prosecution. He’s turning state’s evidence. That’s a voluntary action to secure a lighter sentence. And it does not have the pitfalls of torture, where victims will indeed say anything to make it stop. A defendant providing testimony must tell the truth or any agreement made with prosecutors is null and void.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">However, Hannity’s description of defendants saying anything to stay out of jail actually fits Trump much better. After all, he is known to be a pathological liar anyway. And he doesn’t have any agreement with prosecutors to worry about voiding. He’s lying through his capped teeth to avoid prison. And he clearly doesn’t care what he says, or how ludicrous the lie, if he thinks it will either deflect from his guilt or help him to evade accountability. The whole lot of them are neck deep in criminal behavior. And if more disclosures like those Parnas is serving up come to pass, they are all going to be sharing a cell block.</font></div></div><div style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/damning-parnas-docs-are-what-trump-has-been-afraid-of-and-demolish-his-3-key-impeachment-defenses-former-acting-solicitor-general"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/damning-parnas-docs-are-what-trump-has-been-afraid-of-and-demolish-his-3-key-impeachment-defenses-former-acting-solicitor-general</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>‘Damning’ Parnas docs are ‘what Trump has been afraid of’ — and demolish his 3 key impeachment defenses: former acting solicitor general</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by Tom Boggioni / Raw Story January 15, 2020</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a column for the Washington Post, ex-acting solicitor general Neil Katyal and former Justice Department official Joshua A. Geltzer, stated that the Tuesday afternoon document dump of notes and texts by Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas is exactly what President Donald Trump worried might happen if he didn’t get his Senate impeachment trial wrapped up as soon as possible.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Americans who have been wondering why President Trump has taken the extraordinary step of trying to block every document from being released to Congress in his impeachment need wonder no longer. The new documents released Tuesday evening by the House Intelligence Committee were devastating to Trump’s continuing — if shifting — defense of his Ukraine extortion scandal, just days before his impeachment trial is likely to begin in the Senate,” the two lawyers wrote. “These new documents demolish at least three key defenses to which Trump and his allies have been clinging.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As the New York Times reported, “One of the new documents shows Mr. Giuliani saying that he had Mr. Trump’s blessing to seek a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president-elect, last spring, potential new evidence on the eve of the president’s impeachment trial,” adding that “In a separate series of cryptic text messages, Mr. Parnas communicated with another man who appeared to be monitoring the movements of [Ukraine ambassador] Ms. Yovanovitch. The texts, exchanged in March on WhatsApp, indicated that the second man, Robert F. Hyde, was in touch with people in Ukraine who were watching Ms. Yovanovitch.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to Katyal and Geltzer, “The documents released Tuesday now show what Trump has been so afraid of. For starters, they prove that Trump’s already-eyebrow-raising claim to have been fighting corruption in Ukraine was bogus. Notes taken by Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas — now facing federal criminal charges — show what his and Giuliani’s mission was when they got in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: ‘get Zalensky [sic] to Announce that the Biden case will Be Investigated.’”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“One of those documents shows just how important it might be to have such witnesses testify before the Senate. The document is a letter from Giuliani to Zelensky when he was Ukraine’s president-elect. It begins: ‘I am private counsel to President Donald J. Trump. Just to be precise, I represent him as a private citizen, not as President of the United States.’ The letter then requested a meeting with Zelensky.” they wrote. “This letter is a devastating indication of what’s been clear to many all along: that Trump’s pursuit of an announcement that Ukraine was looking into Biden was an abuse of his public office for personal gain. That’s what this letter sure seems to be saying. And it makes clear that what was afoot had nothing to do with law enforcement or Biden’s corruption — it wasn’t a request from the official ‘President of the United States’ but rather one from a ‘private citizen.’”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>“It’s so damning to Trump that we can foresee the president claiming during impeachment that Giuliani was lying — back then, and even still today. That’s where Senate testimony can prove crucial,”</b> they continued. “All told, the documents help to explain Trump’s consistent push to bury the evidence against himself. Every week, it becomes clearer why Trump has withheld documents from Congress, blocked executive branch officials and even private citizens from testifying before Congress, and overall, well, obstructed Congress, as the second article of impeachment rightly describes it. It’s because Trump is a man with something to hide. Let’s see what else he’s hiding — in front of the Senate next week, in a good, old-fashioned American trial for all to see.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">You can read the whole piece here.</font></div></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/here-are-7-stunning-new-pieces-of-impeachment-evidence-just-released-by-the-house/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/here-are-7-stunning-new-pieces-of-impeachment-evidence-just-released-by-the-house/</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Here are 7 stunning new pieces of impeachment evidence just released by the House</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by Cody Fenwick January 14, 2020</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, dropped a new slate of deeply revealing evidence Tuesday night in the impeachment case against President Donald Trump.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Though the evidence doesn’t change the basic narrative of the case against Trump — that he and a group of his cronies used the administration in various ways to put pressure on Ukraine to announce investigations into his political rivals as the 2020 campaign heated up — it adds more color and detail to the story and should make the president’s culpability in a disturbing plot even harder for his Republican allies to deny.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here are seven stunning new facts the new evidence revealed:</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. Rudy Giuliani told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he’s working with Trump’s “knowledge and consent.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Writing to Zelensky on May 10, when Giuliani was trying to plan a trip to Ukraine to pressure the country into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, the president’s lawyer wrote that he is acting with Trump’s “knowledge and consent.” This claim fundamentally undercuts the argument some defenders of the president have been inclined to make that Giuliani was operating as a rogue agent.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. In the same letter, Giuliani says he is acting in his “capacity as personal counsel to President Trump.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I am private counsel to President Donald J. Trump,” Giuliani wrote. “Just to be precise, I represent him as a private citizen, not as President of the United States.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This confirms, as many have argued repeatedly, that Giuliani’s efforts in Ukraine were clearly for Trump’s personal benefit, not the country’s. That’s part of the reason why it was so grossly wrong, and indeed impeachable, for him to use the powers of his office to induce Ukraine to announce an investigation into Biden and other political opponents.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kyle Cheney</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@kyledcheney</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> · 20h</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Replying to @kyledcheney</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The House released 50 pages of the evidence here, but it’s just a portion of the materials: https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20200114-hpsci_transmittal_letter_to_hjc-new_evidence_attachment.pdf …https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20200114-parnas_excerpts_translated_slide_deck.pdf …</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kyle Cheney</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@kyledcheney</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AMONG THE EVIDENCE: A letter from Giuliani to Zelensky seeking a May meeting which he says has Trump's "knowledge and consent."</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">3. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow gave John Dowd, another attorney, permission from the president to defend Igor Furman and </span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Lev Parnas, </b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">two of Giuliani’s associates who have been indicted on campaign finance charges, in part, for their Ukraine-related work.</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump has claimed he doesn’t know who Furman and Parnas are, even though he has appeared in pictures with them. This evidence makes it harder to believe this is true and raises more questions about why he was trying to conceal his dealings with them.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4. Parnas wrote notes on Ritz-Carlton stationery suggesting he was directly involved with the Ukraine scheme.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“get Zalensky [sic] to Annonce [sic] that the Biden case will Be Investigated,” he wrote.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler, Schiff said Parnas’ lawyer confirmed that he wrote the note.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>5. Parnas texted with a man named Robert F. Hyde, believed to be the same person who is running for a House seat in Connecticut, about removing former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.</b></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Schiff explained:</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In response to some articles, tweets, and videos accusing the Ambassador of being disloyal to President Trump, Mr. Hyde wrote “Wow. Can’t believe Trumo [sic] hasn’t fired this bitch. I’ll get right in that. Mr. Hyde then sent a series of text messages suggesting that he had Ambassador Yovanovitch under physical surveillance in Kyiv and that “They are willing to help if we/you would like a price.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6. Parnas was also communicating with Ukrainian officials which, Schiff argued, demonstrated “that Mr.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas served as a direct channel between President Trump’s agent, Mr. Giuliani, and individuals close to President Volodymyr Zelensky.”</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas tried to set up a meeting for Giuliani and Zelenksy in May 2019 via senior aides to the Ukrainian president, the texts show.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">7. Giuliani tried to get a visa approved for a disgraced former Ukrainian prosecutor.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas told Giuliani that former<b> Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin,</b> who has been feeding the unsupported allegations against Biden, was denied a visa to the U.S. Giuliani said in response: “I can revive it,” despite having no formal role at the State Department.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cody Fenwick is a senior editor at AlterNet. He writes about politics, media and science. Follow him on Twitter @codytfenwick.</font></div></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" /></font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"></font></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></span></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/12/how-the-hills-john-solomon-undermined-journalism"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2019/12/how-the-hills-john-solomon-undermined-journalism</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>How The Hill’s John Solomon undermined journalism</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by Nancy LeTourneau / <b>Washington Monthly </b>December 6, 2019</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">With the release of the report from the House Intelligence Committee on their impeachment hearings, Trump’s enablers are outraged that Representative Adam Schiff got access to the phone records of key players in Giuliani’s extortion scheme. According to Byron York, of particular concern is the fact that those records include telephone calls by John Solomon.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Finally, the publication of John Solomon’s records raised still other issues, this time about freedom of the press. In the excitement over the Democratic report, there was little or no discussion about the problems that might arise from the House Intelligence Committee publishing a journalist’s phone records. But in the past, at least when President Trump was not involved, similar issues have been a concern of press advocates…</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Searching media coverage Tuesday and Wednesday, there was little or no discussion on whether Schiff’s disclosure touched on Solomon’s First Amendment rights. Solomon is the target of much criticism in mainstream reporting, but he is a journalist who should enjoy the same protections as others in his profession.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">York isn’t the only one complaining. The guy who smeared a U.S. ambassador with a mountain of lies in order to get her fired actually had the nerve to talk about a lack of decency.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The problem with claiming that someone like Solomon deserves the protections of the first amendment is that he wasn’t acting as a journalist. While he calls himself an “investigative journalist,” he’s not simply a conservative reporter as some would suggest. He’s been a political operative for years now.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>I first noticed stories by Solomon when I began tracking down the origin of the smears about the Clinton Foundation<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> He wrote volumes spreading those lies. As it turns out, one of his sources was Victoria Toensing, a pattern that has persisted to the current impeachment hearings about Ukraine. At the time, Toensing was representing an undercover FBI informant who claimed he could blow the whistle on Clinton corruption.</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What we eventually learned is that the Justice Department determined that they had “serious credibility concerns” with Toensing’s client and that there were inconsistencies between his testimony and the documents they had obtained as part of their investigation.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>You might, however, notice a pattern here when I point out that, while Solomon was collaborating with Toensing, the same lies about the informant were being repeated by Trump on Twitter and by Representative Devin Nunes on Fox News. The cast of characters looks very familiar, doesn’t it?</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon went on to write about the Trump-Russia investigation. He specifically focused in on the Steele dossier and often quoted anonymous sources that sounded an awful lot like members of the House Intelligence Committee.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Since March, Solomon has been writing articles related to Giuliani’s Ukrainian racket – including smears against Ambassador Marie Yavanovitch, claims that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, and attacks on the Bidens. <b>He admitted that <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Lev Parnas </span>is the one who connected him to the source of much of his material—former Ukrainian prosecutor Yuri Lutsenko.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Documents shared with congress by the State Department inspector general give us an inside look at how these kinds of stories were coordinated.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Included in the roughly 50-page packet was an email from Solomon to Toensing, diGenova, and <b>Parnas</b> previewing an article he’d written that was not yet published…</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After that email became public, Solomon claimed he was simply fact-checking the piece before it was published. But Toensing, diGenova, and Parnas are not mentioned in the article, <b>raising the possibility that the trio, who had been working to find evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens in Ukraine, had been working directly with Solomon on the story.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In other words, Solomon was running the article by his handlers to get their input and/or approval prior to publication.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Just as we saw with the efforts to smear the Clinton Foundation, the team of Toensing and diGenova would sign on as lawyers to represent people who had dirt on Trump’s opponents to sell, usually in exchange for favorable treatment by Trump’s Justice Department. Parnas or Toensing connected those people with Solomon, who wrote the stories that were spread by Devin Nunes, Donald Trump, and a whole host of right wing news outlets. <b>In the midst of all of that, Solomon was also a client of Toensing and diGenova.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It is in that sense that I would challenge Solomon’s claims to be a journalist. Just like Giuliani, Toensing, diGenova, Parnas, and Nunes, he was working as a political operative on Trump’s behalf. Beyond the fact that he spread lies that benefited the most corrupt individual to ever serve as a U.S. president, he contributed to the undermining of journalism, which is equally disturbing. Any time a political operative disguises themselves as a journalist, it infects the entire culture with suspicions about who we can trust.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nancy LeTourneau is a contributing writer for the Washington Monthly. Follow her on Twitter @Smartypants60.</font></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/11/hes-back-trumps-former-campaign-manager-resurfaces-at-the-heart-of-ukraine-inquiry"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2019/11/hes-back-trumps-former-campaign-manager-resurfaces-at-the-heart-of-ukraine-inquiry</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Let’s also remember where Manafort carried out the crimes that landed him in prison: Ukraine. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/giuliani-consulted-on-ukraine-with-imprisoned-paul-manafort-via-a-lawyer/2019/10/02/7a6dc542-e486-11e9-b7da-053c79b03db8_story.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">According to the Washington Post</a>, as part of a plea deal, “Manafort acknowledged that he made more than $60 million in Ukraine, laundering more than $30 million of it through foreign companies and bank accounts to hide it from the IRS and cheating the government out of $15 million in taxes. He also agreed that he had lobbied in the United States on behalf of Ukrainian officials without registering and that he conspired to tamper with witnesses in his case.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And where do we find ourselves today? Right back in Ukraine. This time it’s Manafort’s former boss, Donald Trump himself, who has been personally managing the campaign to get the Ukrainian government to help his re-election efforts. In fact, it was this week that we learned from George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of Ukraine, how Trump wanted Zelensky to announce an investigation into Biden and the 2016 election. Kent told House impeachment investigators that Trump “wanted nothing less than President Zelensky to go to a microphone and say investigations, Biden and Clinton,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trumps-demands-of-ukraine-came-down-to-three-words-investigations-biden-and-clinton-officials-testimony-shows/2019/11/07/d5ffab54-0197-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">according to the Washington Post</a>.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Even the minor characters are similar. In 2016, we had low-lifes like Kilimnik and “Professor” Joseph Mifsud running around on the fringes of Russia’s efforts to penetrate the Trump campaign and influence the presidential election. For 2020, we’ve got a couple of real jewels by the names of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, both born in the former Soviet Union, and you guessed it! Both are currently under indictment on federal campaign finance charges. In 2016, the connections to Trump were made through Manafort and campaign advisers like George Papadopoulos. This time, it’s Giuliani who is Trump’s cut-out to these foreign-born scam artists. And what was Giuliani using Parnas and Furman for? According to The New York Times, beginning in January of this year, “Mr. Giuliani had enlisted Mr. Parnas and Mr. Furman to collect information and make connections in Ukraine that could be used to damage Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic presidential contender, and to undermine the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Even the way they have been moving funny money around was reminiscent of 2016. Back then, Manafort had pulled in millions from his work for former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, which he laundered through shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus. This year, Parnas and his buddies used a company called Fraud Guarantee, that apparently had no employees and no customers, to funnel money to Giuliani through a complicated deal with a Long Island lawyer and a shell company in Belize</font></p></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas and Fruman were tapped out, having recently made the illegal $325,000 contribution to America First Action, a super PAC supporting Donald Trump, for which they are now under indictment. But they wanted a connection to Giuliani they could use back in Ukraine to drum up business deals, and apparently the way you get connected to Giuliani is to give him money. So they got a Long Island lawyer named Charles Gucciardo, who was a Trump supporter and large-money donor, to invest in their company, and then used the good offices of Fraud Guarantee to funnel $500,000 to Giuliani.</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FLIPS b/c freakout denied, thus no pardon?</font></p><div class="r" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px; line-height: 1.57;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /></font><h3 class="LC20lb" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.3;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/lev-parnas-giuliani-associate.html&ved=2ahUKEwiMy_Hgm9blAhVPHqwKHabzAj0QFjAKegQIARAB" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Lev Parnas, Giuliani Associate, Opens Talks With Impeachment</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></h3><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font><div class="TbwUpd" style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.57; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 1px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><cite class="iUh30 bc" style="font-style: normal; padding-top: 1px; line-height: 1.5;">https://www.nytimes.com › 2019/11/04 › nyregion › lev-parnas-giuliani-ass...</cite></font></font></div></div><div class="s" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); max-width: 48em; line-height: 1.57;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.57; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="f" style="line-height: 1.57;">2 days ago - </span>An associate of Rudolph W. Giuliani who was involved in a campaign to pressure Ukraine into aiding President Trump’s political prospects has broken ranks, opening a dialogue with congressional impeachment investigators and accusing the president of falsely denying </font></span></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><b>lev and igor PAID RUDY $500K </b>, tho he spin as his employees thus covered by exec priv /aaty client priv?</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">rudy met w/ poro, nixed manafort prosecution?</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">kilimnik investigated but allowed to flee to russia</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">javelin missles</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></p></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-a-veteran-reporter-worked-with-giuliani-associates-to-launch-the-ukraine-conspiracy"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.propublica.org/article/how-a-veteran-reporter-worked-with-giuliani-associates-to-launch-the-ukraine-conspiracy</font></a></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx many</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">How a Veteran Reporter Worked with Giuliani’s Associates to Launch the Ukraine Conspiracy</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lev Parnas, recently indicted for foreign influence in U.S. elections, collaborated closely with The Hill’s John Solomon to fuel spurious allegations involving the Bidens and Ukraine.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">by Jake Pearson, Mike Spies and J. David McSwane Oct. 25, 2:10 p.m. EDT</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Solomon in his office as executive editor of The Washington Times, in 2008. (Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post/Getty Images)</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TRUMP ADMINISTRATION</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 45th President and His Administration</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last March, a veteran Washington reporter taped an interview with a Ukrainian prosecutor that sparked a disinformation campaign alleging Joe Biden pressured Ukrainians into removing a prosecutor investigating a company because of its ties to the former vice president’s son. The interview and subsequent columns, conducted and written by a writer for The Hill newspaper, John Solomon, were the starting gun that eventually set off the impeachment inquiry into the president.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Watching from the control booth of The Hill’s TV studio was Lev Parnas, who helped arrange the interview.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas and his partner Igor Fruman were working with the president’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to promote a story that it was Democrats and not Republicans who colluded with a foreign power in the 2016 election. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan indicted the duo this month on allegations that they illegally funneled foreign money into U.S. political campaigns.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Interviews and company records obtained by ProPublica show Parnas worked closely with Solomon to facilitate his reporting, including helping with translation and interviews. Solomon also shared files he obtained related to the Biden allegations with Parnas, according to a person familiar with the exchange. And the two men shared yet another only recently revealed connection: Solomon’s personal lawyers connected the journalist to Parnas and later hired the Florida businessman as a translator in their representation of a Ukrainian oligarch.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Get Our Top Investigations</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subscribe to the Big Story newsletter.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Enter your email</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon’s interview and columns were widely amplified. Giuliani praised them, and Trump said he deserved a Pulitzer Prize. Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Lou Dobbs trumpeted them. They later become a key point in the CIA whistleblower complaint that set the impeachment inquiry in motion.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas’ unusual and extensive involvement in the production of the stories has not been previously reported.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon, 52, told ProPublica his reporting was accurate and defended his sourcing, saying, “No one knew there was anything wrong with Lev Parnas at the time.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Everybody who approaches me has an angle,” he said. “My mother has an angle when she calls me.” A lawyer for Parnas, who along with Fruman has pleaded not guilty, didn’t return requests for comment.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More than a year before his Ukraine columns published, The Hill had serious concerns about Solomon’s credibility and conflicts of interest. Hill staffers began raising alarms, including the paper’s publisher at the time, who warned in an internal memo that Solomon was engaged in “reputation killing stuff” by mixing business with journalism.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In response, The Hill’s management took steps to limit Solomon’s reporting — rebranding him as an opinion writer — but did not prevent him from writing his Ukraine series.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Nothing I did would have put The Hill’s reputation at risk,” Solomon said.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon came to The Hill, which specializes in inside-the-Beltway news, in July 2017 after a decades long career that included stretches at The Associated Press, The Washington Post and The Washington Times. His work has earned accolades, including a series examining what the FBI knew ahead of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He is now a contributor to Fox News.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brought in as an executive vice president overseeing a new digital video enterprise now known as Hill.TV, Solomon continued to operate as a journalist, publishing news articles in the paper, while also playing a role on The Hill’s business side. That began to trouble colleagues within months of his hiring, according to internal memos and interviews with current and former staffers.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lev Parnas arrives for his arraignment in the Southern District of New York on campaign finance violations, on Oct. 23, 2019. Parnas, a Ukrainian associate of the president’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, worked closely with Solomon to facilitate his reporting. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In late October 2017, The Hill published a story on the decisive role of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the upcoming vote on the Trump administration’s tax bill. The article, authored by two journalists who reported to Solomon, included a quote from the executive director of Job Creators Network, a conservative group that claimed the bill would help small-business owners in Maine.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Soon after, Johanna Derlega, then The Hill’s publisher, wrote two memos to the company’s president, Richard Beckman, worrying that Solomon was tearing down the traditional wall separating the business side and the news coverage. She noted that Solomon had negotiated a nearly $160,000 advertising deal with Job Creators Network, targeting business owners in Maine. Solomon then had a quote from that group’s director inserted in the story.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon “pops by the advertising bullpen almost daily to discuss big deals he’s about to close,” Derlega wrote, adding, “If a media reporter gets ahold of this story, it could destroy us.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“While I highlight this one example, John has been given the freedom, and possibly financial upside, to work with advertisers while clearly sitting within editorial,” Derlega wrote.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Six months later, in April 2018, Derlega was forced out of The Hill. The Hill’s owner, president and top editors haven’t responded to detailed questions about Derlega’s memos and Solomon’s tenure at the paper. A spokesman for the advertiser, Job Creators Network, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In interviews with ProPublica this week, Solomon repeatedly declined to discuss his activities on The Hill’s business side, saying, “I just simply can’t talk about anything business related with The Hill.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A month later, the paper’s editor in chief, Bob Cusack, emailed staff that “effective immediately” Solomon would no longer publish stories under the banner of news but instead would be an “opinion contributor.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">From this new perch, Solomon broke in early spring what seemed to be an explosive piece of news: claims by Yuriy Lutsenko, then Ukraine’s top prosecutor, that a U.S. diplomat, serving under President Barack Obama, presented him a list of people and groups he could not prosecute. Additionally, Lutsenko said that he was reviving a probe into the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings, seeking to determine whether Joe Biden, as vice president, interfered with the initial inquiry to protect his son Hunter, who sat on Burisma’s board.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Behind the scenes, Parnas had been central to connecting Solomon with Lutsenko. In a March 2019 email that included the businessman, the columnist wrote that he’d “just got word from Lev that the prosecutor general has agreed to do an interview tomorrow.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas watched Lutsenko’s interview live, inside the control room of The Hill’s TV studio. Solomon explained that he called in the businessman to act as a translator, but in the end his services were not needed.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon recalls first encountering Parnas through Pete Sessions, the once-powerful Texas Republican member of Congress who is now in the middle of the Trump impeachment inquiry. Sessions accepted campaign donations from Parnas and Fruman, and had met with the two men as they sought to oust an American diplomat in Ukraine. Later, Sessions wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to replace the envoy Marie Yovanovitch, who had been the subject of extensive criticism in the conservative media. She was later fired and is a key witness for House Democrats trying to impeach the president.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sessions, who has denied knowledge of the campaign finance scheme laid out by prosecutors, told ProPublica that he has no connection to Solomon.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I don’t know John,” he said.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon says his personal attorneys, Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, a husband-and-wife legal team that regularly represents conservative luminaries, set up his first formal meeting with Parnas. He asserted that his editors “were aware” that he was seeking help from diGenova and Toensing on matters concerning Ukraine.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I was doing that as an extra layer of protection,” Solomon said. “And so everything — everything — was above board. Everybody knew about it. I was just trying to be careful.” diGenova and Toensing did not respond to a request for comment.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Read More</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A Brief Guide to Giuliani’s Questionable Friends in Ukraine — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rudy Giuliani has been looking for “corruption” in Ukraine. It’s easy to find among the very people he’s befriended.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As he compiled material for subsequent columns, Solomon and Parnas continued to work closely. In late March, less than a week after the first piece featuring Lutsenko appeared in The Hill, Solomon sent files via Dropbox to Parnas containing financial records purporting to be connected to Biden’s son. Around the same time, Solomon also sent Toensing and diGenova what appeared to be an advance copy of a Ukraine-related story. The Daily Beast reported that the email was included in a State Department Inspector General’s Office package of material turned over to lawmakers.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon acknowledged that Parnas helped set up the Lutsenko interview, but he says he had originally requested it through official channels. Solomon maintains his relationship with the businessman was a typical one a reporter would have with a source. “Lev would call me,” he said, “and offer things he was hearing on the ground and I would look into some things.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As Solomon’s relationship with Parnas developed, he learned over time that the businessman “was working for many people or several people in Ukraine,” including Giuliani and Solomon’s lawyers. Politico first reported Solomon’s lawyers also represented the Ukrainian oligarch. Giuliani hasn’t responded to messages seeking comment.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon defended his work, including his reporting on the so-called do-not-prosecute list, which he said he went through “enormous efforts” to verify. “At the end of the day,” Solomon said. “it doesn’t matter what Lev Parnas did. It matters what I did.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But a month after Lutsenko’s Hill TV appearance, the former Ukrainian prosecutor backed off of his allegations. He told a Ukrainian-language publication that he himself was the one who asked the U.S. ambassador for the list of supposedly untouchable figures. The State Department said there was never any list, calling it an “outright fabrication.” And Lutsenko told the Los Angeles Times last month that he saw no evidence of wrongdoing that would justify an investigation into Biden’s son’s business dealings in his country.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Justin Elliott contributed to this report.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Filed under: Trump Administration</font></font></font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity/giuliani-associates-arrested-trying-flee-country-were-reportedly-their-way-set"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity/giuliani-associates-arrested-trying-flee-country-were-reportedly-their-way-set</font></a></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">hannity</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">omg this could finish djt? 10/18/19</font></font></font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/john-solomon/how-conservative-writer-john-solomon-served-conduit-rudy-giulianis-ukraine-conspiracy" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.mediamatters.org/john-solomon/how-conservative-writer-john-solomon-served-conduit-rudy-giulianis-ukraine-conspiracy</font></a></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">At the center of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump lies a disinformation campaign led by his personal attorney</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> Rudy Giuliani</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> that was aided and abetted by conservative writer John Solomon. Through Solomon, Giuliani injected his disinformation campaign straight into the heart of conservative media -- Fox News -- with seemingly full knowledge of at least some at Fox. And eventually, Solomon </span><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/john-solomon-to-join-fox-news-as-contributor" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">landed</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> a job at the network.</span></font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It is now known that Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/timeline-trump-ukraine-investigation-2e91c79c-d33e-45c4-b78f-6b34bf597e5d.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">blessed</a> Giuliani to run a shadow foreign policy campaign in Ukraine, in which he sought information that would undermine the intelligence community's findings that Russia interfered in our 2016 election to benefit Trump. Giuliani was also trying to dig up dirt to smear former Vice President Joe Biden, a front-runner to challenge Trump in the 2020 election. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Much attention has focused on Giuliani’s actions and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-associates.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">shady cast of characters</a> he worked with, but less has been paid to the right-wing media figures who colluded with the president’s lawyer to make his smear campaign public -- a plan that came dangerously close to succeeding. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What follows is a case study in how right-wing media work hand in hand with Trump cronies to smear his enemies, undermine democracy, and defend the president at all costs. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here’s how it went down.</font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Key Takeaways</font></font></font></h2></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;" /><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rudy Giuliani, working with con men and Trump cronies, pursued an “investigation” in Ukraine that he claimed showed both Ukrainian collusion with Democrats in 2016 and evidence that then-Vice President Joe Biden acted corruptly in Ukraine to benefit his son.</font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In March, Giuliani sent the results of his investigation to the State Department to be investigated and to conservative columnist John Solomon. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The same month, Solomon began publishing a series of columns that mirrored the sourcing and claims Giuliani made in his State Department dossier.</font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Over the next six months, Solomon published 45 columns aimed at discrediting the Russia investigation, 12 of which focused primarily on Ukraine. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During that same time period, Solomon appeared on Fox News or Fox Business at least 72 times. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fifty-one of those appearances were on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hannity</em>, whose host dutifully promoted Solomon’s scoops and wove them into his ever-evolving conspiracy theory that deep state elements in the government have been plotting to overthrow Trump.</font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On October 5, John Solomon landed a job at Fox.</font></font></font></p></li></ul></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Key players</font></font></font></h2></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rudy Giuliani</strong> -- the president’s personal attorney who has traveled around the globe attempting to dig up dirt on Democrats and discredit the Russia investigation on Trump’s behalf.</font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lev Parnas</strong> and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Igor Fruman</strong> -- two Soviet-born <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article235626327.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">con men</a> with ties to Ukraine who worked with Giuliani to <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mikesallah/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-trump-parnas-fruman" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">concoct</a> the disinformation campaign and to get the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-lev-parnas-worked-for-rudy-giuliani-and-donald-trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">fired</a>, reportedly in the hopes of advancing their business interests in the country. The two have since been <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign-born-men-who-helped-giuliani-on-ukraine-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-11570714188" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">arrested</a> for campaign finance violations related to making allegedly illegal campaign donations to Republican candidates and committees, as well as a pro-Trump super PAC. They also reportedly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-whistleblower-firtash/indicted-giuliani-associate-worked-on-behalf-of-ukrainian-oligarch-firtash-idUSKBN1WQ2H5" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">worked</a> for Dmitry Firtash.</font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6be9c6ab-7fff-c298-54ef-65a76d55d209" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dmitry Firtash</b> -- a Ukrainian pro-Russian oligarch and former <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/doj-ex-manafort-associate-firtash-top-tier-comrade-russian-mobsters-n786806" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">business </a>associate of Paul Manafort who is in Austria fighting extradition to the United States to face charges <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/politics/giuliani-aide-linked-to-rich-ukrainian-fighting-extradition-to-chicago-/5612232/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">related</a> to a bribery conspiracy. At the same time Parnas and Fruman were working with Giuliani, the two were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/ukrainian-oligarch-firtash-linked-giuliani-pals-gas-deals-biden-dirt-n1067516" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reportedly</a> also working on Firtash’s behalf to push for the removal of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine as part of a plan to install new leadership at Ukraine’s Naftogaz gas company. Part of this plan reportedly would have included <b>Naftogaz paying “Firtash a debt of more than $200 million that Firtash believes he is owed by the company</b>.” NBC reported that while this was happening, Firtash “was playing a key role in the effort by Parnas, Fruman, and Giuliani to hunt for dirt on Donald Trump's political opponents in Ukraine.”</font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Victoria Toensing</strong> and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Joe diGenova</strong></span> --<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> two attorneys closely tied to Trump who also worked with Giuliani to support his efforts in Ukraine. The duo are known for their role in <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity/donald-trumps-new-legal-team-comes-straight-sean-hannitys-greenroom" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">bolstering conspiracy theories</a> about the Russia investigation and at one point were considered to join Trump’s personal legal team. The two quietly <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-23/trump-friendly-lawyers-join-legal-team-of-ukraine-s-firtash" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">represent</a> Dmitry Firtash in fighting his extradition to the United States. They <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign-born-men-who-helped-giuliani-on-ukraine-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-11570714188" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">hired</a> Parnas as an “interpreter” to work with them on the Firtash case while Parnas was also working with Giuliani.</span></font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">John Solomon</strong> -- a conservative columnist who until recently was the executive vice president of The Hill. Solomon was the conduit through which Giuliani, Parnas, Toensing and diGenova planted their stories in order to spread their coordinated disinformation campaign through the media.</font></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sean Hannity</strong> -- Fox News host who is close to Trump and worked with Giuliani to make his show an integral part of their media strategy, providing a place where they could sow the seeds of the smear campaign against Biden. Giuliani and Hannity discussed this strategy in January, and Solomon became a staple on Hannity’s prime-time programming.</font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The plan</font></font></font></h2></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>According to Parnas, his friendship with Giuliani <a href="https://www.whqr.org/post/meet-businessman-helping-giuliani-find-dirt-democrats-ukraine#stream/0" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">began</a> two years ago as they were running in similar political circles and attending the same events. In late 2018, Parnas and Fruman began connecting Giuliani to a network of disgraced former and current Ukrainian officials and prosecutors to dig up dirt on Biden and the 2016 election.</b> </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The conspiracy theory they <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudys-big-plan-to-defend-trump-on-ukraine-play-the-george-soros-card?ref=author" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">concocted</a> went like this: Ukrainian officials worked with Democrats to find dirt on Trump’s one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort in order to damage Trump. They did so, Giuliani claimed, by fabricating the “black ledger” that showed that Manafort had received millions of dollars from the former pro-Russia Ukrainian ruling party that had been recently overthrown. The revelation of this ledger helped <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/us/politics/paul-manafort-resigns-donald-trump.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">force</a> Manafort’s resignation from Trump’s campaign, and Manafort was eventually <a href="https://www.apnews.com/7f967313552c4f7fb56c9c1a1cfbb97a" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">prosecuted and convicted</a> of a wide range of crimes as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian electoral interference in the 2016 election. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In addition, according to Giuliani’s <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1909/19/CPT.01.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">conspiracy theory</a>, the Ukrainian Embassy was working with Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and in return, the American Embassy and the Obama administration actively blocked investigations in Ukraine that Giuliani claims targeted Democrats’ political allies. <b>As with most conspiracy theories on the right, George Soros is involved in this one too.</b> The theory posits that a Ukrainian good governance, anti-corruption group -- the Anticorruption Action Centre (AntAC) -- was involved in framing Manafort and was corruptly tied to an FBI agent who was investigating Manafort. Giuliani also claims that an investigation into the group was shut down due to U.S. pressure and that the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/top-state-department-official-expected-to-face-questions-about-ukraine-and-giuliani/2019/10/14/8ba23d18-eeca-11e9-b2da-606ba1ef30e3_story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">provided</a> Ukrainian officials with a “do not prosecute” list that included people linked to AntAC. As a bonus, through the “investigation,” Giuliani claims to have been presented with evidence that then-Vice President Biden acted corruptly by withholding U.S. aid to force the resignation of a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating his son.</font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Nothing about this conspiracy theory is true.</b> First, there’s no evidence that the infamous “black ledger” was fraudulent, and several payments listed in the document have been <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/meet-the-florida-duo-helping-giuliani-dig-dirt-for-trump-in-ukraine" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">confirmed</a> to be accurate. The Intercept <a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/09/22/reporters-stop-helping-donald-trump-spread-lies-joe-biden-ukraine/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reported</a>: “Sergii Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist and reformist member of parliament who helped publicize the off-the-books payments” said that “Giuliani ‘is a liar’ for saying that the black ledger was a forgery. ‘It is a real document, with real signatures,’ Leshchenko said in a telephone interview, explaining that it had been examined by Ukrainian law enforcement experts.” Giuliani seems to have adopted the false claim about the ledger from Manafort, whose legal team has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/giuliani-consulted-on-ukraine-with-imprisoned-paul-manafort-via-a-lawyer/2019/10/02/7a6dc542-e486-11e9-b7da-053c79b03db8_story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">embraced</a> it since 2017 and whom Guiliani has been meeting with to discuss the materials. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As for Giuliani’s claims that investigations into AntAC were dropped due to political pressure,  the State Department has <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-says-state-dept-vowed-investigate-after-he-gave-ukraine-n1061931" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">called</a> claims of a so-called “do not prosecute” list “complete poppycock.” And an investigation into the group’s handling of foreign aid money was widely believed to be <a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/09/22/reporters-stop-helping-donald-trump-spread-lies-joe-biden-ukraine/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">politically motivated</a> <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudys-big-plan-to-defend-trump-on-ukraine-play-the-george-soros-card?ref=author" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">retaliation</a> for the group’s anti-corruption work. Finally, while Biden did pressure Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was roundly criticized for blocking corruption investigations, there’s no evidence that he did so to benefit his son. In reality, the push to get the prosecutor in question, Viktor Shokin, fired was a part of an <a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/66101/trump-and-giulianis-quest-for-fake-ukraine-dirt-on-biden-an-explainer/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">anti-corruption effort</a> by advocates and international supporters of Ukraine. The United States’ well-established position was that ousting Shokin was a critical aspect of anti-corruption measures. The investigation into the energy company whose board included Hunter Biden was long dormant, and Hunter Biden was never the subject of the investigation. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Nonetheless, Giuliani <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/giuliani-ukrainians-brought-me-substantial-evidence-of-collusion-with-hillary-clinton-other-top-democrats" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">says</a> he completed his “investigation” in March and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-says-state-dept-vowed-investigate-after-he-gave-ukraine-n1061931" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">sent</a> his findings to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/02/politics/state-department-inspector-general-briefing-congress/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">understanding</a> that Pompeo would investigate. (NBCNews.com, however, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-says-state-dept-vowed-investigate-after-he-gave-ukraine-n1061931" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reported</a>: “A source with knowledge of the events said ... that Pompeo never promised Rudy Giuliani that he would investigate the contents of the envelope or anything related to Ukraine.”) Giuliani also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-investigation.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">sent</a> the materials to Solomon.</font></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>NBCNews.com <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-says-state-dept-vowed-investigate-after-he-gave-ukraine-n1061931" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">obtained</a> a copy of the documents that Giuliani sent to the State Department in March and reported that they contained “a glimpse of an intricate media strategy to spread the story including segments being placed on Fox News.</b>”<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> NBC said the “documents also show that Giuliani, through conservative writer John <b>Solomon’s columns in The Hill, attempted to tie former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch to the liberal donor George Soros</b> as part of a massive conspiracy to take down Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and help Hillary Clinton win the 2016 election.” The materials Giuliani sent included interview notes from interviews he conducted with then-current and former Ukrainian prosecutors that “paint the picture of the narrative that Giuliani has been pushing involving the Bidens.”</span></font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The media strategy</font></font></font></h2></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h4 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Giuliani and associates feed story to Solomon</font></font></font></h4></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Around the same time Giuliani sent his packet of materials to the State Department, he also sent the materials to Solomon, who began reporting on its contents through the opinion pages of The Hill without identifying the materials as having originated with Giuliani</span>. Solomon’s writing for some time <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/leaked-memo-colleagues-unload-on-john-solomon-the-reporter-who-kicked-off-trumps-ukraine-conspiracy" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">had focused</a> heavily around trying to discredit the Mueller investigation and the notion that Russia meddled into the 2016 elections to help Trump. On March 20, he <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/435029-as-russia-collusion-fades-ukrainian-plot-to-help-clinton-emerges" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">published</a> the first of many scoops specifically related to Ukraine’s involvement in this effort. Over the next six months, Solomon published 45 columns aimed at discrediting the Russia investigation, 12 of which primarily focused on Ukraine. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In his reporting, Solomon spelled out Giuliani’s conspiracy theory in detail. For instance:</b></font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He reported that Ukrainian officials <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/437719-ukrainian-to-us-prosecutors-why-dont-you-want-our-evidence-on-democrats" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">claimed</a> to have “evidence of wrongdoing by American Democrats and their allies in Kiev, ranging from 2016 election interference to obstructing criminal probes,” at least some of it <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/436816-joe-bidens-2020-ukrainian-nightmare-a-closed-probe-is-revived" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">related</a> to Biden. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/437719-ukrainian-to-us-prosecutors-why-dont-you-want-our-evidence-on-democrats" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reported</a> that these officials tried to “deliver their evidence to Washington” but were unable because the American ambassador (Yovanovitch) “blocked” them “from obtaining a visa” to the U.S. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He weaved an elaborate story about Americans working with Ukrainians to dig up dirt on Trump’s one-time 2016 campaign manager Manafort, in order to damage Trump. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/449206-fbi-warned-early-and-often-that-manafort-file-might-be-fake-used-it-anyway" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">claimed</a> that the infamous “black ledger” that showed Manafort had received millions in undisclosed payments from Ukrainian officials was fabricated and<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/440730-how-the-obama-white-house-engaged-ukraine-to-give-russia-collusion" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;"> released</a> to damage Trump. He also <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/440730-how-the-obama-white-house-engaged-ukraine-to-give-russia-collusion" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">suggested</a> that in January 2016, Obama’s Department of Justice pressured Ukraine to help the department investigate Manafort in response to Trump’s rise in popularity in the Republican primary race (Manafort did not join the Trump campaign until March 2016). </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">He <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/456619-george-soross-secret-2016-access-to-state-exposes-big-money-hypocrisy-of-democrats" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">strongly suggested</a> that the Obama State Department pressured Ukrainian officials to drop an investigation into a Ukrainian good governance group linked to Soros because Soros backed Clinton. </font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He also <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/435906-us-embassy-pressed-ukraine-to-drop-probe-of-george-soros-group-during-2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">claimed</a> the U.S. ambassador’s “do not prosecute” list included people related to this organization, and he strained to <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/435906-us-embassy-pressed-ukraine-to-drop-probe-of-george-soros-group-during-2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">link</a> the group to the Manafort investigation by claiming that an FBI agent involved in the investigation is tied to the same group.</font></font></font></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 2.4rem; position: relative;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And, of course, he <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/436816-joe-bidens-2020-ukrainian-nightmare-a-closed-probe-is-revived" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">claimed </a>that Biden withheld a billion dollars worth of U.S. aid to shut down an investigation into Burisma Holdings and Biden’s son Hunter through his position on the company’s board.</font></font></font></p></li></ul></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Solomon’s reporting relies heavily on the sources <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Giuliani</span> fed him.</b> In an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-gambit-for-trump-giuliani-engaged-parade-of-ukrainian-prosecutors/2019/09/26/4d3dc72e-e072-11e9-8fd3-d943b4ed57e0_story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">interview</a> with The Washington Post, Giuliani named three current and former Ukrainian prosecutors as persons he interviewed, specifically <b>former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin</b>, then-Ukrainian <b>Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko,</b> and Nazar Kholodnytsky, head of Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.<b> </b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Giuliani is also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-meets-with-former-diplomat-as-he-continues-to-press-ukraine-inquiries/2019/05/24/faf59e0c-7e64-11e9-a66c-d36e482aa873_story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">known</a> to have met with a former Ukrainian diplomat named Andrii Telizhenko and is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/world/europe/ukraine-prosecutor-biden-trump.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">linked</a> to Kostiantyn Kulyk -- Lutsenko’s deputy who was <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/27/giuliani-trump-ukraine-005098" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">indicted</a> on corruption charges in 2016.</b> Eight of the twelve columns Solomon wrote on the topic featured at least one of these five sources.</span></font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">At least three of Solomon’s columns feature information meant to undermine the validity of the Russia investigation that may have been leaked from the Ukrainian pro-Russia oligarch Dmitry Firtash’s legal team, which included </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">diGenova and Toensing. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Toensing and diGenova</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/03/ukraine-scandal-digenova-toensing-022049" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">have been working</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> with Firtash since at least July -- and indeed Solomon published an </span><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/454185-how-mueller-deputy-andrew-weissmanns-offer-to-an-oligarch-could-boomerang" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: border-box; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">entire column</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> in July based exclusively off material and anonymous sources from Firtash’s legal team. They appear to have been involved with his case much earlier than July, though. </span></font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Included in the material Giuliani sent to the State Department is <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-ukraine-dirt-file-has-private-email-between-john-solomon-and-rudy-allies" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">a March 26 email</a> from Solomon -- titled “Fwd: Outline of <b>Soros</b> reporting, including embedded documents” -- in which <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Solomon forwarded a draft of his article before it was published to the same three people working with Giuliani who are also known to have been working with Firtash -- Parnas, Toensing, and diGenova</span>.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> The <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/435906-us-embassy-pressed-ukraine-to-drop-probe-of-george-soros-group-during-2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">column</a> was the first of three that mentioned Firtash, and it attempted to tie AntAC -- and through it Soros -- “to highly visible U.S. actions against the oligarch Dmitri Firtash, a major target of the Soros group, and Manafort.” Solomon repeated the suggestion in his August 7 <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/456619-george-soross-secret-2016-access-to-state-exposes-big-money-hypocrisy-of-democrats" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">column</a> on Soros’ “secret 2016 access” to State Department officials. In a fourth <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/463307-solomon-these-once-secret-memos-cast-doubt-on-joe-bidens-ukraine-story" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">column</a>, Solomon reported on an affidavit of a former Ukrainian prosecutor that he exclusively received. The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/427618359/Shokin-Statement" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">affidavit</a> was prepared “at the request of lawyers acting for Dmitry Firtash … for use in legal proceedings in Austria.”</span></font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h4 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solomon brings the conspiracy theory to Fox</font></font></font></h4></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The next stage in the plan involved Solomon taking his “scoop” to Fox News, specifically to Sean</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Hannity. From March 20 -- when Solomon published his first story on the Ukraine conspiracy theory -- through October 2, Solomon appeared on Fox News or Fox Business at least 72 times.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Fifty-one of those appearances were on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hannity</em>, whose host dutifully promoted Solomon’s scoops and wove them into his ever-evolving conspiracy theory that “deep state” elements in the government have been plotting to overthrow Trump. Giuliani also appeared on those networks frequently, clocking in at least 64 appearances on Fox News and Fox Business during that time period. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Toensing and diGenova appeared over 75 times on the two networks during this period.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span></font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The fact that they were working together on these stories, or -- in the case of Toensing and diGenova -- that they were legally representing Firtash, was certainly not transparent to viewers. In perhaps the most egregious example, on the September 26 <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/nunes-compares-ukraine-call-hysteria-to-russia-hoax" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">episode</a> of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hannity</em>, Hannity hosted Solomon to report on an <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/427618359/Shokin-Statement" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">affidavit</a> he obtained from the disgraced prosecutor Shokin, who claimed he was forced to resign to stop the investigation into the company connected to  Hunter Biden. Hannity then hosted diGenova and Toensing to discuss it, and the two hailed the affidavit as proof of their conspiracy theory and declared it would “shoot a hole in” Biden’s defense. </font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">However, the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/427618359/Shokin-Statement" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">affidavit</a> states that it was prepared “at the request of lawyers acting for Dmitry Firtash … for use in legal proceedings in Austria.” In other words, diGenova and Toensing were part of the legal team that produced the affidavit that Solomon later exclusively obtained, wrote up, and then took to Hannity -- a fact not mentioned by any of them. Giuliani has since repeatedly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transcript-rudy-giuliani-on-face-the-nation-september-29-2019/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">referenced</a> this affidavit in numerous media appearances to support his claims about Biden’s alleged corruption. </font></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Hannity repeatedly gave clues suggesting he knew the full range of stories Solomon would be reporting.</b> For instance, despite the fact that Solomon’s March 20 column did not mention Biden or corruption, Hannity teased on his radio show that day that “I just happen to have a little birdie telling me in my ear that, well, Joe Biden may have an issue here that is bigger than anything ever alleged about Donald Trump.” On September 23, Hannity and Giuliani <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/pence-calls-out-the-assume-the-worst-media-after-whistleblower-complaint" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">admitted</a> to having talked about the Biden Ukraine story as early as January.</font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The payoff</font></font></font></h2></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Giuliani repeatedly touted and praised Solomon’s “blockbuster” reporting.</b> He has at least twice opined that Solomon should “get a Pulitzer Prize” and has taken to Twitter to sing Solomon’s praises:</font></font></font></p></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--twitter-tweet paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field field--name-field-twitter-tweet field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Hannity, too, repeatedly <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/sen-graham-on-democrats-calls-for-trumps-impeachment" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">praised</a> Solomon’s “great reporting” as he hyped Solomon’s columns. He regularly <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/philadelphia-residents-taunt-police-officers-during-standoff" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">described</a> Solomon as a “friend” of the program and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/lara-trump-biden-has-realized-he-needs-to-move-farther-left-to-fit-in-with-new-democrats" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">declared</a> that mainstream news outlets, like The New York Times, “peddled lies, conspiracy theories and hoax[es]” about the Russia investigation whereas Solomon “was right” all along. On April 25, Hannity asked Trump about Solomon’s and others' reporting around the Russia investigation, and the president <a href="https://factba.se/transcript/donald-trump-interview-sean-hannity-fox-telephone-april-25-2019" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">replied</a>: “These are great reporters. … These are people that should be getting Pulitzers.” Trump added, “These are the ones that should be winning. It sounds like big stuff. It sounds very interesting with Ukraine.” </font></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Solomon’s efforts paid off. On October 5, Fox News <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/john-solomon-to-join-fox-news-as-contributor" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">confirmed</a> that John Solomon had joined the network as a contributor.</b> During his first appearance on Hannity as an official Fox News employee, Hannity <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/lara-trump-donald-trump-will-win-in-2020-because-american-people-are-winning" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">said</a>: “John Solomon, welcome to the family. It’s been a long time coming, sir.”</font></font></font></p></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></div></div></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/10/giulianis-ukrainian-born-clients-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-dined-with-trump-in-the-white-house-after-showering-gop-campaign-committees-with-nearly-500000/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2019/10/giulianis-ukrainian-born-clients-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-dined-with-trump-in-the-white-house-after-showering-gop-campaign-committees-with-nearly-500000/</font></a></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Giuliani’s Ukrainian-born clients arrested on campaign finance charges dined with Trump in the White House after showering GOP ‘campaign committees with nearly $500,000’</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rudy Giuliani image by Gage Skidmore, Wikipedia</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by David Badash / The New Civil Rights Movement October 10, 2019</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Two Ukranian-born clients of Rudy Giuliani who were involved in President Donald Trump’s personal attorney’s investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden were arrested overnight leaving the country. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were reportedly arrested on campaign finances charges that include conspiracy, falsifying records, and falsifying records to the FEC.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The two men according to USA Today have dined with President Donald Trump inside the White House after having “showered Republican campaign committees with nearly $500,000.”</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Among those donations is $325,000 to a pro-Trump Super PAC, identified by USA Today as America First Action, which is led by a former Trump cabinet member.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“In May 2018, Parnas posted pictures on Facebook of himself and Fruman with Trump in the White House and with his son, Donald Trump Jr., in California. That was the same month their company, Global Energy Producers LLC, was credited for giving $325,000 to a campaign committee that supports Trump’s re-election,” USA Today adds.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In yet another twist the two men are being represented by President Trump’s former lead lawyer for the special counsel investigation into Russia and Trump, John Dowd.</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jamie Dupree</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">?</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@jamiedupree</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AP on arrest of two men tied to Giuliani:</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"A lawyer for the men, John Dowd, hung up on an Associated Press reporter calling about the case."</font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></font></font></p></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""></font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="" /></font></font><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">no lnx</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Former Trump attorney John Dowd reveals men arrested on campaign finance charges ‘assisted’ Giuliani in his work representing the president</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Written by David Badash / The New Civil Rights Movement October 10, 2019</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The former lead lawyer for President Donald Trump, representing him during the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia and Trump, John Dowd, is now representing the two Ukrainian-born men arrested overnight attempting to leave the country. The two men were arrested in relation to a campaign finance investigation on charges that include conspiracy, falsifying records, and falsifying records to the FEC.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The men also worked with Giuliani to help him try to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The former lead lawyer for President Donald Trump, representing him during the Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia and Trump, John Dowd, is now representing the two Ukrainian-born men arrested overnight attempting to leave the country. The two men were arrested in relation to a campaign finance investigation on charges that include conspiracy, falsifying records, and falsifying records to the FEC.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The men also worked with Giuliani to help him try to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dowd in a statement says his clients, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, “assisted Mr. Giuliani in connection with his representation of President Trump.”</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That’s huge, given the charges against them.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Mr. Parnas and Mr. Furman,” Dowd continues, “have also been represented by Mr. Giuliani in connection with their personal and business affairs.”</font></b></div><div style=""><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></b></div><div style=""><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“They also assisted Joseph DiGenova [sic] and Victoria Toensing in their law practice.”</font></b></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Both diGenova and Toensing are Fox News regulars who defend Trump on-air. They were rumored to have been hired by the White House to assist Trump with his defense during the Mueller investigation but that appeared to have been thwarted by Trump himself.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Politico congressional reporter Kyle Cheney makes this important – and damning – observation:</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@kyledcheney</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> · 2h</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IMPORTANT: Fruman and Parnas' lawyer (former Trump lawyer John Dowd) just laid out all of their connections to Trump world (in his famous Comic Sans letter).</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It's not just Giuliani but DiGenova, Toensing -- and they even helped with Trump-related legal work. >>></font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">View image on Twitter</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kyle Cheney</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">?</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@kyledcheney</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If prosecutors are correct, this means two people who worked on legal matters for Trump were simultaneously running a straw donor scheme on behalf of foreign interests.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2,419</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8:04 AM - Oct 10, 2019</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Twitter Ads info and privacy</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1,055 people are talking about this</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That, too, is huge.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here’s Dowd’s statement, which was in the form of a letter sent to the House Intelligence Committee:</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kyle Cheney</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">?</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@kyledcheney</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IMPORTANT: Fruman and Parnas' lawyer (former Trump lawyer John Dowd) just laid out all of their connections to Trump world (in his famous Comic Sans letter).</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It's not just Giuliani but DiGenova, Toensing -- and they even helped with Trump-related legal work. >>></font></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref 3</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/giuliani-consulted-on-ukraine-with-imprisoned-paul-manafort-via-a-lawyer/2019/10/02/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/giuliani-consulted-on-ukraine-with-imprisoned-paul-manafort-via-a-lawyer/2019/10/02/</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">National Security</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><b>Giuliani consulted on Ukraine with imprisoned Paul Manafort via a lawyer</b></div><div>
</div><div>By Josh Dawsey ,</div><div>Tom Hamburger ,</div><div>Paul Sonne and</div><div>Rosalind S. Helderman October 2 at 8:41 PM</div><div>
</div><div>In his quest to rewrite the history of the 2016 election, President Trump’s personal attorney has turned to an unusual source of information: Trump’s imprisoned former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Rudolph W. Giuliani in recent months has consulted several times with Manafort through the federal prisoner’s lawyer in pursuit of information about a disputed ledger that would bolster his theory that the real story of 2016 is not Russian interference to elect Trump, but Ukrainian efforts to support Hillary Clinton.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The relationship, which Giuliani acknowledged in an interview this week with The Washington Post, stems from a shared interest in a narrative that undermines the rationale for the special counsel investigation. That inquiry led to Manafort’s imprisonment on tax and financial fraud allegations related to his work in Kiev for the political party of former president Viktor Yanukovych.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>
</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Giuliani’s effort is gaining traction on Capitol Hill. Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee</b>, have announced their renewal of an inquiry into any coordination between Ukraine and Democratic Party officials. </span></div><div>
</div><div>Manafort, who is serving a 7½ -year term in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, has continued to express support for Trump, and Trump has never ruled out giving him a pardon.</div><div>
</div><div>Trump’s push on a July 25 call to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the matter, and also probe former vice president Joe Biden, triggered an impeachment inquiry in the House. Many of the accusations Giuliani has been making about Ukraine recycle those that Manafort’s team first promulgated. </div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Giuliani joined Trump’s legal team in April 2018 to help defend the president against special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe, and the former mayor said he launched his own investigation into Ukraine late last year, which led him to consult with Manafort. He said he has not spoken directly to Manafort in two years.</span></div><div>
</div><div>“It was that I believed there was a lot of evidence that the [Democratic National Committee] and the Clinton campaign had a close connection to Ukrainian officials,” Giuliani said, noting that he was never advocating for a pardon of Manafort. “It was all about Trump. I don’t think I could exonerate Manafort.”</div><div>
</div><div>Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, did not respond to a request for comment. </div><div>
</div><div>[Impeachment inquiry puts new focus on Giuliani’s work for prominent figures in Ukraine]</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Giuliani said his consultation with Manafort centered on trying to ascertain the veracity of a secret black ledger obtained by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, which the New York Times revealed in an August 2016 story. The Times said the ledger recorded $12.7 million in cash payments from Yanukovych’s political party to Manafort. The revelation led Manafort to resign from the campaign.</span></div><div><b>
</b></div><div><b>Giuliani’s narrative recasts Ukrainian accusations in 2016 against Manafort and efforts by Democratic operatives to gather research on Manafort after he took a leading role in Trump’s campaign as a conspiracy involving both Ukrainian and American officials to swing the election for Clinton. </b></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As part of that, Giuliani has focused on a theory that Manafort’s team was promoting as early as 2017: that the Ukrainian government separately interfered in the 2016 campaign on behalf of Clinton through the activities of a Ukrainian American contract worker for the DNC, Alexandra Chalupa.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Chalupa confirmed she worked part-time as an outreach worker for the DNC to Ukrainian Americans and others, and met with Ukrainian officials from the embassy in Washington during that time. She said she “sounded the alarm” on Manafort outside her duties for the DNC, and sought to circulate that information, because she said she was concerned about Manafort’s ties to Yanukovych, who was backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. She said the Ukrainian Embassy stayed clear of U.S. election matters, even with regard to Manafort. </div><div>
</div><div>“The White House has been pushing this narrative to distract from Donald Trump’s gross abuse of power in pressuring a foreign country to interfere in our elections,” DNC press secretary Adrienne Watson said in a statement. </div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">There were Ukrainian Americans and people in the Ukrainian anti-corruption movement who were motivated to “shine a light” on Manafort’s activities in Ukraine during 2016, and some Ukrainian Americans were active on behalf of Clinton, said Jeffrey Mankoff, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, but he said those activities aren’t equivalent to Russia’s state-sponsored intervention, which included the release of stolen emails and an extensive online disinformation campaign.</span></div><div>
</div><div>“One theory has been documented with extensive detail in the Mueller Report,” Mankoff said. “The other is something that Rudy Giuliani and people in his orbit have conjured up as a way to cast aspersions and confuse the story.”</div><div>
</div><div>Giuliani said he needed to consult with Manafort through the latter’s lawyer this spring to ask whether a black ledger ever existed. </div><div>
</div><div><b>“I said, ‘Was there really a black book? If there wasn’t, I really need to know. Please tell him I’ve got to know,’” Giuliani recalled asking Manafort’s lawyer. “He came back and said there wasn’t a black book.”</b></div><div>
</div><div>Giuliani said he was interested in the matter to prove his theory that the ledger’s release, which he has claimed was done in conjunction with U.S. officials, was part of a falsified pretext for U.S. authorities to reopen a case against Manafort. </div><div><b>
</b></div><div><b>The FBI, however, already had a case open against Manafort before the 2016 campaign, having interviewed him twice about his work in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014. </b></div><div>
</div><div>The special counsel’s office did not introduce the “black ledger” at Manafort’s trial in Virginia in August 2018, nor did Manafort's defense team mention the document during his trial on tax and financial fraud charges, or try to show that it had been forged.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">After a jury convicted Manafort of eight felonies, the former Trump campaign chairman pleaded guilty in Washington to avoid a second trial. As part of his plea, Manafort acknowledged that he made more than $60 million in Ukraine, laundering more than $30 million of it through foreign companies and bank accounts to hide it from the IRS and cheating the government out of $15 million in taxes. He also agreed that he had lobbied in the United States on behalf of Ukrainian officials without registering and that he conspired to tamper with witnesses in his case.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Serhiy Leshchenko, a Ukrainian journalist, anti-corruption campaigner and former member of parliament, said the ledger “was obtained by an anonymous source in the burned-out ruins of the headquarters of Yanukovych’s party.” His involvement in the release of part of its contents at a news conference, he said, was motivated by a desire that Manafort be brought to justice for his activities in Ukraine. </div><div>
</div><div>“Giuliani’s entire approach is built on disinformation and the manipulation of facts,” Leshchenko said in an op-ed in The Post. “Giuliani has developed a conspiracy theory in which he depicts my revelations about Manafort as an intervention in the 2016 U.S. election in favor of the Democratic Party.”</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In a text conversation with Manafort from August 2017 released by prosecutors, <b>Fox News host Sean Hannity mentions “Ukraine interference”</b> as one of the issues he was highlighting to attack Mueller. On his show that year, Hannity repeatedly claimed Ukraine had intervened in the 2016 election by sharing information on Manafort with a DNC contractor. Manafort did not respond directly to those claims but frequently encouraged and praised Hannity throughout the summer. </span></div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The White House also promoted the allegation. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“If you’re looking for an example of a campaign coordinating with a foreign country or a foreign source, look no further than the DNC, who actually coordinated opposition research with the Ukrainian Embassy,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in July 2017. </span></div><div><b>
</b></div><div><b>Grassley and Johnson, writing this week in a letter to Attorney General William P. Barr, again mentioned the allegations as a matter they intend to investigate. </b></div><div>
</div><div>“Ukrainian efforts, abetted by a U.S. political party, to interfere in the 2016 election should not be ignored,” the senators wrote. “Such allegations of corruption deserve due scrutiny, and the American people have a right to know when foreign forces attempt to undermine our democratic processes,” the senators wrote in the letter.</div><div>
</div><div>Correction:An earlier version of this story misidentified Sen. Charles Grassley’s committee chairmanship. The story has been corrected.</div><div>
</div><div>Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Josh Dawsey</div><div>Josh Dawsey is a White House reporter for The Washington Post. He joined the paper in 2017. He previously covered the White House for Politico, and New York City Hall and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for the Wall Street Journal. Follow </div><div>
</div><div>Tom Hamburger</div><div>Tom Hamburger is an investigative reporter on the national desk of The Washington Post. He has covered the White House, Congress and regulatory agencies, with a focus on money and politics. Follow </div><div>
</div><div>Paul Sonne</div><div>Paul Sonne covers the U.S. military and national security. He previously reported for the Wall Street Journal from Moscow, London and Washington. Follow </div><div>
</div><div>Rosalind S. Helderman</div><div>Rosalind Helderman is a political enterprise and investigations reporter for The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2001. Follow </div><div>We dig deeper.</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref 2</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article235501772.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article235501772.html</font></a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Two South Florida businessmen from the former Soviet Union could find themselves dragged into an impeachment inquiry targeting President Donald Trump over their political activities in Ukraine.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were cited — although not by name — in a government whistleblower complaint <a href="https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20190812-whistleblower_complaint_unclass.pdf" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">released</a> Thursday alleging improper behavior by the president. Parnas and Fruman helped introduce Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, into top Ukrainian political circles, according to widespread media accounts.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/official-readout-president-trump-s-july-25-phone-call-with-ukraine-s-volodymyr-zelensky/4b228f51-17e7-45bc-b16c-3b2643f3fbe0/" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">July 25 telephone call</a> between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky led House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to announce an impeachment inquiry earlier this week. During the call, Trump pressured his counterpart to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, sparking the whistleblower complaint and widespread public concern <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/09/26/republican-senators-romney-sasse-thune-raise-concerns-trump-ukraine-call-ebof-vpx.cnn" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">even from the administration’s Republican allies in Congress</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The connections and associates which Giuliani had on President Trump’s behalf in Ukraine ... those really should be the heart of the investigative process,” said Kenneth F. McCallion, a former federal prosecutor and attorney for former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko in the United States.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Reached on his cellphone Thursday, Parnas called the impeachment inquiry a “soap opera” and defended Trump.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“[Personally], it’s a headache. It’s upsetting, being dragged into something like this,” he said.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas said Ukraine’s government has access to information on alleged wrongdoing by the Bidens and U.S. officials overseas — but that the U.S. government proved indifferent to receiving it through official channels. Thanks to his friendship with Giuliani, he said, he and Fruman became the best people to get it into the Trump administration’s hands. The information could affect the 2020 election.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I got certain information and I thought it was my duty to hand it over,” he said. He declined to comment on the details of his relationship with Giuliani, although he said the former New York City mayor was his lawyer as well as friend.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While Giuliani hoped to gather information damaging to Trump’s rivals, experts have largely dismissed claims that a conspiracy was afoot. Joe and Hunter Biden have denied wrongdoing.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Parnas’ and Fruman’s newfound political prominence, including major donations to GOP candidates, belies a history of financial troubles.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas is a former stockbroker who was threatened last year with eviction from a $5,500-per-month home in Boca Raton, court records show. His company was evicted in 2015 for failing to pay rent. The Ukrainian-American businessman is also at the center of a $325,000 donation to a pro-Trump super PAC that is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-26/pro-trump-super-pac-got-illegal-contributions-complaint-alleges" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">under scrutiny from federal regulators</a>. Details about that contribution were revealed only when an investor sued Parnas over a loan made for an unmade film Parnas was promoting called “Anatomy of an Assassin.”</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Fruman, a real estate investor who also runs a New York import-export business dealing in coffee, baby food, ketchup and dairy products, and Parnas also allegedly bragged about their alliances with Republican power brokers like Giuliani and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in order to procure a six-figure loan from an investor for a natural gas business they run. But the men struggled to pay the investor back on time, leading to a lawsuit.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Their political efforts have met with some success.</b> A month after meeting with Giuliani, Parnas and Fruman earlier this year,<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Ukrainian prosecutors announced an investigation into whether officials had attempted to swing the election in favor of Hillary Clinton, according to a <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/meet-the-florida-duo-helping-giuliani-dig-dirt-for-trump-in-ukraine" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">detailed profile</a> of Parnas and Fruman’s activities by Buzzfeed News and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. Trump called the allegations “big” and “incredible” on Fox News.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The whistleblower complaint expressed concern that Trump is “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” It repeatedly mentioned the role of Giuliani in Ukraine. And in three footnotes, the whistleblower cites media reports revealing how Parnas and Fruman were instrumental. The complaint refers to the men as “two associates of Mr. Giuliani.”</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Giuliani has <a href="https://twitter.com/rudygiuliani/status/1129761193755910144" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">confirmed</a> Parnas and Fruman are his legal clients.</b> Fruman could not be reached Thursday. Attorneys who have represented him did not respond to requests for comment. Giuliani has said his efforts in Ukraine had the full support of the president.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A Reuters reporter last week <a href="https://twitter.com/AramRoston/status/1175156459140722688?s=20" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">saw</a> Giuliani and Parnas sitting at a table together at Trump’s hotel in Washington, D.C.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Parnas, Fruman and their natural-gas company, Global Energy Producers, have given more than $400,000 to Republican candidates and committees supporting them in federal elections</b>. The vast majority of that money has gone to committees supporting Trump, but Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott is the next biggest beneficiary. In 2018, Fruman gave $15,000 to a joint-fundraising committee backing Scott’s Senate race. They also gave $50,000 to the campaign of DeSantis, a Trump ally, in June 2018 and $35,000 combined to a committee supporting failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Together, Parnas and Fruman joined Donald Trump Jr. for breakfast in Beverly Hills last year, a deleted social media post obtained by BuzzFeed/OCCRP shows.<b> Both men have been spotted at Trump properties, including Mar-a-Lago</b>, according to published reports. Another photo shows Parnas at the White House with Trump earlier this year.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On the website of his current company, Fraud Guarantee, Parnas lists one of his early business ventures as “shipping the first containers of freight between the United States and the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s.” Fraud Guarantee, where he is co-founder and CEO, protects investors “from losses due to fraud,” according to the website. Parnas has been repeatedly sued over alleged unpaid debts and rents in Palm Beach County courts. (“I don’t know anybody that has only good in their business,” Parnas said Thursday. “I’ve never done anything illegal, I’ve never been charged, I’ve never been near anything like that.”)</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In addition to his interests in real estate and shipping, Fruman is the president of the Ukrainian-based Otrada Luxury Group, which sells cars, jewelry, boats, food and alcohol, according to a <a href="http://www.otrada-luxury.com/files/PRESENTATION_OTRADA_FINAL.pdf" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">company pamphlet</a>. He lives in Sunny Isles Beach, public records show, which is also the location of Seafront Properties, LLC, for which he is the registered agent. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">He has “personal ties” to a powerful businessman in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa called “the Grey Cardinal” who is believed to associate with organized crime figures, <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/meet-the-florida-duo-helping-giuliani-dig-dirt-for-trump-in-ukraine" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">according to OCCRP</a>, an international consortium of investigative journalists.</span></font></p><h3 mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-weight="font-weight" var="var" hw="hw" text-transform="text-transform" ht="ht" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" px="px" max-width="max-width" padding="padding" margin-right="margin-right" auto="auto" margin-left="margin-left" clear="clear" both="both" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: content-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">THE EASTERN FRONT</font></h3><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On May 17, 2018, a Delaware shell company called Global Energy Producers contributed $325,000 t<b>o America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, </b>according to federal campaign finance records. Parnas was described as the CEO of the firm and Fruman as the president in unrelated documents.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It was their big introduction into GOP politics and a world of international intrigue.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The next year, Parnas would prove crucial in setting up meetings between Giuliani and former Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko</b>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">according to the New York Times</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Giuliani was said to be primarily seeking two things: Information about how material damaging to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was publicly leaked in Ukraine. And an agreement from Ukraine’s government to investigate the involvement of Biden’s son in a Ukrainian energy company, which could hinder Biden’s campaign against Trump in the 2020 presidential election.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thanks to Parnas, Giuliani spoke on the phone with Lutsenko and met with him for several hours in New York City in January, the Times reported. They reportedly met again in Warsaw in February.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“[Lutsenko] brought documentation, verification. It opened Giuliani’s eyes,” Parnas told reporters at Buzzfeed and OCCRP, saying the i<b>nformation could aid Attorney General William Barr’s inquiry into the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, as well as the 2020 election.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It’s all going to come out,” Parnas added. “Something terrible happened and we’re finally going to get to the bottom of it.”</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;" /><figure class="photo-inline-horizontal" mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 30px 0px; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; clear: both;"><div class="img-container picture " style="box-sizing: inherit;"><picture style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/estados-unidos/n33icd/picture224671275/alternates/FREE_1140/AFP_1CB49R" media="(min-width: 992px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/estados-unidos/n33icd/picture224671275/alternates/FREE_960/AFP_1CB49R" media="(min-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/estados-unidos/n33icd/picture224671275/alternates/FREE_768/AFP_1CB49R" media="(min-width: 601px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/estados-unidos/n33icd/picture224671275/alternates/FREE_640/AFP_1CB49R" media="(min-width: 441px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/estados-unidos/n33icd/picture224671275/alternates/FREE_480/AFP_1CB49R" media="(min-width: 320px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></source></source></source></source></font></picture><figcaption style="box-sizing: inherit; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; padding: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 1140px; margin: 0px auto;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[pix President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, in the East Room of the White House in July 2018]</font></figcaption></div></figure><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;" /><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">All told, Parnas and Fruman introduced Giuliani to three current and former Ukrainian prosecutors, according to OCCRP.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Although both men have claimed to open doors in Ukraine for Giuliani, neither is registered as a foreign agent with the U.S. Justice Department. Whether they need to is murky, in part, because of Giuliani’s unusual status as someone doing the bidding of the U.S. president while not actually an appointed official.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">After the Times story in May, Giuliani canceled his planned visit to Ukraine.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">He did however meet with an adviser to Ukraine’s president in Madrid in August, according to the whistleblower complaint.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The $325,000 donation to the Trump super PAC was the subject of a <a href="https://campaignlegal.org/sites/default/files/2018-07/SIGNED%2007-25-18%20GEP%20LLC%20Straw%20Donor%20Complaint.pdf" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">complaint</a> by a nonpartisan watchdog group to the Federal Election Commission last year. The<b> Campaign Legal Center </b>said Global Energy Partners did not have assets required to make such a hefty donation and that the funds had in fact come from an unknown source.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We’ve seen that these two shady characters managed to buy their way into Trump world with a $325,000 super PAC contribution and then leveraged the access the contribution afforded to push this highly dubious scheme in Ukraine,” Brendan Fischer of the Campaign Legal Center said in an interview Thursday.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More details about the source of the money have been revealed in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the lawsuit, an investor in a movie-deal-gone-bad won a judgment worth more than $500,000 plus interest against Parnas. Wire transfers unveiled in the lawsuit showed that the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">money had not been donated to the Trump super PAC by Global Energy Partners but by another company managed by Parnas, according to a <a href="https://campaignlegal.org/update/new-wire-transfer-records-reveal-shady-foreign-ties-pro-trump-super-pac" target="blank" rel="Follow" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">supplemental complaint</a> lodged by the CLC in June.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“America First Action violated the law by filing this false report, which has kept the public in the dark about the true sources of its support. Parnas, Fruman, or others who engineered this scheme also violated the law by laundering the contribution through LLCs,” the complaint stated. “But we still don’t know where the money actually came from. The FEC should find out.”</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">America First Action said it could not comment on “ongoing legal matters.”</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We take our legal obligations seriously and scrupulously<b> comply with the law,</b>” the group said in a statement.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Parnas said Thursday the money came from the sale of a Miami-area condo and that the donation was legitimate. On Thursday, the Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giulianis-ukraine-henchmen-made-big-donation-to-pro-trump-pac" target="blank" rel="Follow" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">published</a> a story confirming that a company linked to Fruman had sold a Bal Harbour condo for $4.1 million.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tony Andre, a South Florida attorney helping the jilted movie investor recover the judgment, said his research has found Parnas’ finances to be opaque.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“His financial dealings seem questionable when you consider his history of non-payments of debts,” Andre said Thursday.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;" /><figure class="photo-inline-horizontal" mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 30px 0px; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; clear: both;"><div class="img-container picture " style="box-sizing: inherit;"><picture style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/opinion-es/vfzmp2/picture235474917/alternates/FREE_1140/Trump%20Ucrania%20opinion.JPG" media="(min-width: 992px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/opinion-es/vfzmp2/picture235474917/alternates/FREE_960/Trump%20Ucrania%20opinion.JPG" media="(min-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/opinion-es/vfzmp2/picture235474917/alternates/FREE_768/Trump%20Ucrania%20opinion.JPG" media="(min-width: 601px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/opinion-es/vfzmp2/picture235474917/alternates/FREE_640/Trump%20Ucrania%20opinion.JPG" media="(min-width: 441px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/opinion-es/vfzmp2/picture235474917/alternates/FREE_480/Trump%20Ucrania%20opinion.JPG" media="(min-width: 320px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></source></source></source></source></font></picture><figcaption style="box-sizing: inherit; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; padding: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 1140px; margin: 0px auto;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[pix President Donald Trump meets with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the United Nations on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. </font></figcaption></div></figure><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;" /><h3 mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-weight="font-weight" var="var" hw="hw" text-transform="text-transform" ht="ht" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" px="px" max-width="max-width" padding="padding" margin-right="margin-right" auto="auto" margin-left="margin-left" clear="clear" both="both" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: content-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MYSTERY MEN</font></h3><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It’s not clear how Parnas, Fruman and New York’s former mayor got to know each other.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Giuliani has been mixed into the complicated Ukrainian political scene for more than a decade. A confidential State Department cable, sent from the U.S. Embassy in Kiev back to headquarters and published by Wikileaks, described how Giuliani was seeking to help former heavyweight boxing champion Vitaliy Klitschko in his bid to enter the political ring there.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">According to <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/meet-the-florida-duo-helping-giuliani-dig-dirt-for-trump-in-ukraine" target="self" rel="Follow" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">BuzzFeed/OCCRP</a>, Parnas came to the United States in 1976 when he was 4.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A check of Parnas on the website <a href="https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/2418073" target="_blank" rel="Follow" style="text-decoration: var(--ld); font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">BrokerCheck</a>, operated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), shows him associated with three companies that have been expelled from the industry’s self-regulating body</span>. Parnas worked in the securities business since 1994, sometimes using the name Larry Parnell, but has not been a registered broker since 2009, when the North Miami Beach company he worked for, Basis Financial, LLC, was expelled.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a settlement with the body, Basis Financial’s owners admitted to a range of misrepresentations and misconduct and FINRA determined the company <b>failed to establish anti-money-laundering policies.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2003, another Parnas-associated company, Program Trading Corp., in Boca Raton, was expelled from FINRA. Parnas had a stake of 25-to-50 percent in the company, through his Florida company Aaron Investment Group, according to documents. FINRA expelled the company after it refused to pay fines and settle with the National Association of Securities Dealers, which accused Program Trading of malfeasance.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parnas was also a broker in the mid 1990s with Euro-Atlantic Securities, Inc. That firm was at the center of a <b>stock fraud prosecution in New York in 2001</b> involving several alleged organized crime figures. Parnas had left the company by the time indictments were brought for stock-price manipulation.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He has never been personally charged.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;" /><figure class="photo-inline-square mugshot" mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 30px 0px; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; clear: right; width: 390px; float: right;"><div class="img-container picture " style="box-sizing: inherit;"><picture style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><source srcset="https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/kz6qya/picture235502987/alternates/FREE_1140/Fruman_2016.jpg" media="(min-width: 992px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/kz6qya/picture235502987/alternates/FREE_960/Fruman_2016.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/kz6qya/picture235502987/alternates/FREE_768/Fruman_2016.jpg" media="(min-width: 601px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/kz6qya/picture235502987/alternates/FREE_640/Fruman_2016.jpg" media="(min-width: 441px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/kz6qya/picture235502987/alternates/FREE_480/Fruman_2016.jpg" media="(min-width: 320px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></source></source></source></source></font></picture><figcaption style="box-sizing: inherit; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; padding: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 1140px; margin: 0px auto;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Igor Fruman with President Donald Trump. Fruman is referenced — but not by name — in the whistleblower complaint pertaining to Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president.</font></figcaption></div></figure><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" /><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;" /><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Born in Belarus, Fruman spent years in Ukraine before migrating to Miami where, in 2005, he married Yelyzaveta Naumova, also a Ukrainian national. Naumova filed for divorce in 2017, records show.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fruman ran an import/export business and owned a boutique hotel in Odessa, Ukraine, according to BuzzFeed/OCCRP. A milk canning plant he invested in went bankrupt after going nearly $25 million in debt, the news organizations reported.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In March, Russian-born businessman Felix Vulis sued Fruman and Parnas after Global Energy Producers failed to pay back a $100,000 loan from Vulis last September. The two parties agreed to a settlement for an undisclosed amount last month.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In order to procure the loan, Fruman and his associates at GEP bragged about his connections to Giuliani, the complaint said. In March of 2018, Fruman and Parnas attended a Trump donor meeting at Mar-a-Lago as a kickoff event for Trump’s 2020 campaign, according to OCCRP. Their biggest donation came two months later.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paperwork for the $325,000 contribution to the Trump super PAC lists a home in Boca Raton as an address for Global Energy Partners. Parnas confirmed it was his residence.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Reached Thursday, Victor Imber, the man who owns that home, said “Who is Lev Parnas?” and hung up the phone.</font></p><p style="margin: 8px auto; box-sizing: content-box; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5em; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; clear: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><div class="ng_endnote_contact" mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: content-box; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; clear: both;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Miami Herald staff writer David Smiley and Miami Herald researcher Monika Leal contributed to this report.</font></div></div></div><div class="ng_endnote_contact" mcclatchy="McClatchy" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: content-box; max-width: 720px; padding: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; clear: both;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">=</font></div>