This is far more than campaign violations, they were working for Russia. They are immigrants and have made it through the citizenship process. They, Guiliani and Trump, possibly his family and campaign are in a whole lot of trouble, the way I see it. These are bribes paid directly to Guiliani and possibly many others. The need for understanding the Special Counsel's report is never more important. I can't believe Robert Mueller missed this one.
This is all due to the whistleblower's report. The US House can't ignore this as part of the impeachment proceedings.
November 5, 2019
By Elliot Hannon
One of the Ukrainian-American associates (click here) of Rudy Giuliani who is believed to have played a key role in brokering the deal to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and his son is now cooperating with the congressional impeachment inquiry. Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-born American citizen who was arrested last month on campaign finance charges for allegedly funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars from foreign donors into Trump’s political action committee, had initially hired former Trump lawyer John Dowd and refused to cooperate with congressional investigators. Dowd previously represented Trump during a portion of the Mueller investigation.
Parnas, however, has since changed lawyers and has indicated he will cooperate by complying with subpoenas for his testimony and documents. Trump has tried to distance himself from Parnas and fellow Giuliani associate Igor Fruman, who also helped facilitate fulfilling the White House’s demand that Ukraine investigate Biden. “I don’t know them. I don’t know about them. I don’t know what they do,” Trump said. “Maybe they were clients of Rudy. You’d have to ask Rudy.” Parnas’ lawyer said Trump’s statement was “plainly false.”
Trump's new strategy may be banking on Parnas to be loyal to Russia and change the projection in some way to allow bribery and intimidation to be an act of innocence.
The New York Times reports that when Parnas hired John Dowd, the former Trump lawyer, that Dowd sought approval from the president, who in a letter from another Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow, said he “consents to allowing your representation of Mr. Parnas and Mr. [Fruman].” The men’s selection of Dowd as legal representation was an indication that they would stick with the White House in its efforts to stonewall investigators on the matter, but following Trump’s disavowal that legal strategy appears to have changed. One would assume Parnas began to wonder if his lawyer was acting in his best interest or the president’s....
Russia never let's go. Russia will seek out people that have any connection or have been friendly to Russia and it will leverage them for influence or more. Russia fully expects all those Russian babies born in the USA to exercise their citizenship rights.
October 10, 2019
By Michael Biesecker, Larry Neumister and Eric Tucker
Washington — Two Florida businessmen (click here) tied to President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani have been arrested on campaign finance violations resulting from a $325,000 donation to a political action committee supporting Trump’s reelection.
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested on a four-count indictment that includes charges of conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records.
Parnas and Fruman were central to Giuliani’s efforts to get government officials in Ukraine to investigate business dealings by former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in the war-torn former Soviet republic.
Records show that Parnas and Fruman used wire transfers from a corporate entity they controlled to make a $325,000 donation to the America First Action committee in 2018. But wire transfer records that became public through a lawsuit show that the corporate entity reported as making the transaction was not the true source of the money.
John Dowd, an attorney for the men, hung up on an Associated Press reporter calling about the case....
Is this actually a surprise to people? Guliani was receiving Russian bribery money. What is surprising is his successful influence at all. He was nobody, but, a lackey for Trump. Guiliani had no official title or any capacity to even approach the Ukraine president. Why did this happen at all?
There is an aspect to this that seems to be an undercurrent not easily detected. Trump learned early on that having access to him was important. He was filtering that access with payment. How many other people, including dictators, like that from the Philippines and otherwise paid to reach him? In what form did the bribery take place in his hotels and golf courses? There is a much larger crime being committed by Trump that cannot be ignored. Did the Russians pay to be at the White House the morning after Comey was fired or was it simply a quid pro quo for influencing the election?
October 10, 2019
By Adam Geller and Mary Jane Jalonik
Washington - The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine (click here) was removed from her post after insisting that Rudy Giuliani’s requests to Ukrainian officials for investigations be relayed through official channels, according to a former diplomat who has spoken with her.
The ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, is scheduled to testify before congressional lawmakers on Friday as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Democrats say they expect her to appear despite the White House’s position that no administration officials cooperate with the probe...
I would expect after understanding the espionage in the Special Counsel report, understanding the extent obstruction by Trump was a part of a larger strategy would be just as important. These two men are the missing pieces. They are the indisputable connection between Russia and Trump.
November 4, 2019
By Anne Flaherty
Former ambassador to Ukraine (click here) Marie Yovanovitch says she felt threatened, was told to 'watch my back': Impeachment deposition originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
House Democrats on Monday released hundreds of pages of deposition transcripts that included testimony by a former top diplomat of feeling personally "threatened" by President Donald Trump's phone call to Ukraine's president and that a former senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo resigned in large part because Pompeo didn't do enough to protect her.
The transcripts of interviews with former U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and former Pompeo aide Michael McKinley were the first of what is expected to be more than a dozen transcripts released in the coming days ahead of public impeachment hearings as early as next week....
