Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, made a striking accusation on Saturday, claiming that former President Donald Trump had colluded with Russia, describing it as an overt and undeniable act.
Parnas, an American businessman of Ukrainian descent, collaborated with Giuliani during the latter’s quest to uncover information about the Biden family. In 2021, Parnas faced legal consequences and was convicted of fraud and campaign finance crimes, resulting in a 20-month prison sentence.
CNN reports that as President Trump continues his 2024 reelection campaign, his team is currently in talks with Paul Manafort, who served as his campaign chairman in 2016. The discussions revolve around the possibility of Manafort assisting with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, scheduled for July.
In 2019, Manafort was convicted of financial fraud. These convictions were obtained by special counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating Manafort’s alleged collusion with the Russian government in 2016.
In 2019, Mueller published a comprehensive 448-page report that disclosed the results of a thorough two-year investigation. The investigation sought to determine if there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election. Additionally, it delved into Manafort’s activities as Trump’s campaign chairman, particularly his connections with Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs. Ultimately, the investigation did not find any evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Although Paul Manafort’s crimes were not directly related to his work with the former president, Donald Trump pardoned him in 2020. It remains uncertain as to how Trump may potentially involve Manafort in the 2024 campaign.
On Saturday, Michael Cohen, who used to be Donald Trump’s lawyer but has now become a vocal critic, posted a YouTube video of his podcast called “Mea Culpa” on X (formerly known as Twitter). In this particular episode, Cohen had Parnas as a guest.
During the podcast episode, Cohen posed a question to him, asking if he believed that Trump had collaborated or is currently collaborating with the Russians to spread further misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.
Parnas expressed his strong belief that the situation was “blatant.”
“He is still promoting the same Russian information…even Trump’s inner circle is pushing it. And now, Paul Manafort is getting involved. In case you’re not familiar with him, he has direct ties to the Kremlin…just because he served time in prison doesn’t mean those connections are gone.”
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s campaign via email to request a comment. Trump has consistently refuted any claims linking him to Russia and has referred to these allegations, including Mueller’s investigation, as the “Russia hoax.”
Parnas previously refuted false claims made by Trump about the Biden family during a House Oversight Committee hearing last week in the GOP-led impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
In his testimony, Parnas expressed his belief that the American people have been deceived by Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and other individuals in positions of power. He claimed that they deliberately spread falsehoods for their own gain, despite knowing that it would weaken the country. Parnas emphasized that the only information regarding the Bidens and Ukraine originated from a single source: Russia and its agents.
This incident follows closely on the heels of a controversial statement made by Trump where he received criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. In his statement, he expressed his willingness to support Russia in its actions against NATO members who fail to meet their financial obligations to the alliance.
The former president addressed the crowd, recounting his words, “I told them, ‘You haven’t paid, you’re delinquent?’ I would actually urge them to do whatever they please. It’s essential to pay your bills, without a doubt.”
Furthermore, there is growing concern among others that Trump’s mounting debt from his legal cases exposes him to potential foreign influence, particularly from Russia.
In a recent interview on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” Mary McCord, a national security lawyer and former acting assistant attorney general for national security at the Department of Justice (DOJ), was asked by host Symone Sanders-Townsend about the potential national security implications of Trump’s financial exposure.
According to the speaker, posting a near half a billion dollar bond could be a challenging task. However, there are several individuals who might be willing to assist him. These individuals could include foreign investors, Russian oligarchs, and even people within the United States.
According to McCord, Trump’s admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin is a matter of concern. He raises the possibility that other countries might perceive Trump’s potential presidency as an opportunity to gain favors from him.
