. a Ukrainian business associate rudy giuliani A day after refusing to take a stand in his trial for allegedly donating money to political campaigns using money from a Russian financier, he returned to court on Thursday to close arguments.
Lev Parnas, 49, heard prosecutors outline his case that he planned to inject $1 million of foreign funding into US elections despite breaking campaign finance laws.
In response, a defense lawyer said New York City The jury said the government had failed to prove its case.
Parnas and his co-defendant Andrey Kukushkin have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.
The trial made global headlines because of Parnas’ ties with Giuliani, a vocal supporter of former President Trump’s election fraud claims.
Parnas has said he worked with Trump’s personal lawyer to investigate Hunter, the son of President Biden, whose role in a Ukraine energy company is being investigated.
In his closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagen Scotton accused the two defendants of using “lies and tricks” to conceal the source of the donation.
Rudy Giuliani’s aide and Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas, 49, appears in court to hear closing arguments in his trial for allegedly donating money to political campaigns using money from a Russian financier.
Parnas takes a selfie with his attorney Joseph Bundy outside the United States Court in Manhattan on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty to all charges
Parnas listens as first witness Wes Duncan gives evidence during trial last week
Scotton said, ‘Despite being told repeatedly that he could not donate someone else’s money, Parnas made a series of straw donations.
The prosecutor said the defendant lied to financier Andrey Muraviev about how much he was actually donating. He said that he also failed to fulfill the promises made to the candidates.
He said, ‘Simply put, Parnas is looting everyone.
Defense attorney Joseph Bondi called the allegations “absurd.”
The lawyer said his client was a legitimate businessman trying to use a loan from Muraviev to start an energy company that would be involved in the export of natural gas to Europe.
The money was used for business investments, he said, not campaign contributions.
“No attempt was made to hide anything,” Bondi said.
She told the jurors that her client “doesn’t want your sympathy”. He wants a decision based on facts and law.
On Wednesday, Parnas told US District Judge J. Paul told Otken that he would not testify in his defence.
He said that he has taken this decision after discussing with his wife and family.
Parnas and another Soviet-born businessman Igor Fruman, together with Rudy Giuliani, persuaded Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s family.
Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman, Igor Fruman, attracted media attention when it emerged that they had made a large donation through a corporate entity, including a $325,000 contribution to America First Action in 2018. , Donald Trump. A Super Pac support.
The pair became middlemen in an attempt to discredit Giuliani’s then-candidate Joe Biden.
He linked Giuliani with Ukrainian officials as the former New York City mayor tried to get that country to launch an investigation into the future president’s son, Hunter.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian tycoons and officials sought Giuliani’s help in joining the Trump administration.
Although Giuliani is not part of the case, he is under investigation in New York to see if he was registered as a foreign government agent for actions he had done in his capacity as a private attorney for then-President Trump. need to. was supposed.