Former Giuliani aide convicted of violating US campaign laws | Donald Trump News

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Lev Parnas was found guilty of making a donation to a group that supports former President Donald Trump’s re -election campaign.

A New York jury has convicted Lev Parnas, a former colleague of Rudy Giuliani on charges of making illegal campaign contributions to influence U.S. politicians and advance his own business interests.

The case was decided Friday that accused Parnas and an accomplice of making illegal donations through a corporate entity to Republican political committees in 2018, along with a $ 325,000 donation to America First Action, an extra PAC supporting former President Donald Trump.

Giuliani acted as Trump’s personal attorney.

Another part of the case alleges that Parnas used the wealth of a Russian financier, Andrey Muraviev, to make donations to U.S. politicians, as if supported by efforts to launch a legal, recreational cannabis business.

Parnas, 49, was convicted on all counts.

The case provided an important glimpse into the internal functioning of political fundraising in the US [Carlo Allegri/Reuters]

The trial drew attention because of the role played by Parnas and Belarusian -born U.S. citizen Igor Fruman in helping Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer while he was in office, to investigate Joe Biden in the campaign. for the presidency in 2020. Biden won the election, denied Trump a second term.

The case in federal court in Manhattan also provided a glimpse into the internal functioning of political fundraising in the US.

“You saw the wires from Muraviev,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten told the jury at the closing of the arguments on Thursday. “You saw how that money came out on the other side, which was heading to the American election, where the defendants thought they were buying influence to grow their business.”

Lawyers in Parnas’ defense denied that Muraviev’s funds went to business investments, not campaign contributions, and that the donation to the pro-Trump group came from a company founded by Parnas and without contract law.

In his closing statement, Parnas ’attorney, Joseph Bondy, described his client as a staunch supporter of cannabis legalization who was“ in the head of his head ”. He argued that the business fund was funded by Muraviev’s money, not campaign contributions.

Muraviev’s companion, Andrey Kukushkin, a California resident who was tried with Parnas, was also found guilty of campaign finance violations.

Giuliani, a U.S. prosecutor before he became mayor of New York in 1994, has not yet been charged with any crime and has denied wrongdoing.

Lev Parnas’ defense attorneys said the funds went to business investments, not campaign contributions. [Stefan Jeremiah/AP Photo]

Giuliani and Trump were little mentioned during the trial, but a photo featuring Parnas with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was one of the first exhibits shown to jurors at the closing of the arguments. and a video of Giuliani with Parnas are among the exhibits that jurors can see in the discussions

DeSantis was among those who received campaign contributions that prosecutors said traced the $ 1m Parnas and Fruman received from Muraviev, who was involved in several U.S. cannabis ventures.

Fruman, who lives in Florida, pleaded guilty to a number of solicitation of campaign contributions from a foreigner. His verdict is set for Jan. 21.

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