*WSJ* Two Foreign-Born Criminals Who Helped Giuliani on Ukraine Arrested on Campaign-Finance Charges

[DemocratSinceBirth]

WASHINGTON—Two foreign-born donors to a pro- Trump fundraising committee who helped Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to investigate Democrat Joe Biden were arrested late Wednesday on criminal charges of violating campaign finance rules and are expected to appear in court on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two Florida businessmen, have been under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, and are expected to appear in federal court in Virginia later on Thursday, the people said. The men’s nationalities was unclear, though both were believed to have been born in former Soviet republics.

Mr. Giuliani, President Trump’s private lawyer, identified the two men in May as his clients. Both men have donated to Republican campaigns including Mr. Trump’s, and in May 2018 gave $325,000 to the primary pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, through an LLC called Global Energy Producers, according to Federal Election Commission records.

...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign-born-men-who-helped-giuliani-on-ukraine-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-11570714188?mod=hp_lead_pos1

[orangecrush]

1. Squeal, little piggies!

Spill your guts abd save your asses!

[Leghorn21]

2. Oh HOLY SHIT AMERICA

Arrested??! You don’t say!!

I haven’t heard anything about these two that makes me think, “good men, good people”..nope, sure haven’t

Well, let the courts decide if they are on the right side of history or nah

great news!!!!!!!!!

[Skraxx]

3. No Worries, They're Covered. Rudy is Their Lawyer

They're in good hands. I'm sure he'll have it all straightened out in no time.

[yellowcanine]

36. What, no sarcasm smiley? I guess it really wasn't necessary, though.

[lagomorph777]

40. They are totally fucked.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

69. Rudy Rubles

[Leghorn21]

4. Roody hasn't tweeted about this BIG KILLER NEWS ha ha ha, and I don't guess little junior

is upset about this, or is he??

[riversedge]

9. hey donny JR. Love your pic. ha ha

[kag]

44. Oh, this should be an OP all on its own!

That's just beautiful.

[Stallion]

5. Clear the Swamp

[Johnny2X2X]

6. This seems like a big deal

@ Ukrainian assets with ties to Rudy and Trump being arrested while Trump is being impeached for Ukrainian corruption.

[riversedge]

7. I agree. I do not think they usually arrest folks for election finance charges

[Texin]

33. The article doesn't specifically call them Ukranian assets. They were from former Soviet nations.

I think if they had been Ukranian born, the article would have stated that. (And maybe it did, as I haven't read the piece in its entirety yet). Methinks they're more like Putin *assets*. Nothing is done on behalf of Ukraine by Putin. What Guliani and tRump have cooked is more than likely to have been greenlit by Russia, i.e., Putin.

[OliverQ]

8. Wonder why Barr allowed this.

[triron]

19. Indictment comes from SDNY, so maybe they did their own thing?

[getagrip_already]

48. Barr engineered it....

He was at sdny recently.

So why would he do it?

To absolve himself and trump of the ukraine mess by dumping all of it on rudy.

Look for a plea deal where the pair testify it was always just rudy.

What would you do? 50 years in federal prison or lie your ass off when you are already a professional liar and criminal?

Plus, they cant cooperate with congress while in custody. You know, because.

[OliverQ]

50. Pretty hard for him to absolve Trump when Trump admitted to it

on live television and we have evidence proving it.

[getagrip_already]

52. Dont confuse facts and official statements..... ;)

This is about a smokescreen thick enough the gop can repeat it over and over.

Rudy wont deny it, and might even go along with it since he can be arrested any time. He needs to keep chasing the pardon.

[Bradical79]

55. When arrested, they were attempting to flee the country

I think it was too much of a snap decision for Barr to have made the call personally. It was arrest them, or lose them entirely.

[getagrip_already]

58. Not really....

They have left and returned dozens of times. And the fbi likes to grab people at airports.

They had every expectation rudy had their backs. Until barr decided to put a knife in it.

But the fact they were travelling doesnt mean they were fleeing. Doesnt mean they werent. Just that they were traveling.

And besides, where could they go? We could reach them almost anywhere, and people who can embarass putin have a way of falling out of windows. They would be safer here.

[Gothmog]

10. Boom

Link to tweet

[Claritie Pixie]

11. MSNBC reporting these men were involved with 2 congressmen.

Congressmen have not been named but they're tying to figure out who they are.

[NightWatcher]

22. Pete Sessions and Kevin McCarthy

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Claritie Pixie]

26. Wow! Thank you for that!

Self-righteous windbag McCarthy is in this up to his eyeballs.

[NightWatcher]

27. Funny how he's the only repuke house member screaming that the investigation is illegal.

And it turns out he's bought and paid for too.

[lagomorph777]

41. Boom! Nice going, McCarthy!

You are in trouble. Better hire Ghouliani; he'll fix you right up.

[Hortensis]

29. McCarthy? Fantastic

Thanks.

[Texin]

34. Wonder how many more congressional folks have been inovolved (tangentially)?

[lagomorph777]

43. $500,000 divided by $5,400 equals 92 Congresscritters

Unless somebody took more than the legal limit.

This shit's gonna be BIG!

[aggiesal]

28. Could it be any of these? ...

Also, both were expected to testify in the Impeachment hearing today and tomorrow.

I wonder if getting them arrested had anything to do with that?
Could this be obstruction in disguise?

[Claritie Pixie]

32. It very well could be obstruction. Afraid these guys may spill the beans.

[UCmeNdc]

12. K&R

Corruption!

[blaze]

13. Parnas was on his way for a deposition with House impeachment investigators...

hmmmm

[Bradical79]

56. Except he wasn't

Link to tweet

?s=09

They were scheduled, but were going to skip town instead.

[Leghorn21]

14. Oh my! Giuliani is repping them along with John "How Smart Am I?" Dowd!!

“Dowd, the lawyer who represents Parnas and Fruman, told the Intelligence Committee by letter Oct. 3 that they couldn't meet a Monday deadline for documents and communications because the men were also represented by Giuliani and the material might be protected by attorney-client privilege.”

YA’LL ARE SCREWN

[dalton99a]

15. Donald Jr. and the Russian money men:

[NightWatcher]

16. More

Link to tweet

[dalton99a]

17. +1. A very beautiful and perfect picture

[hatrack]

23. Even more - notice the ghost shoulder on the left hand side of the photo above?

Who is it attached to?

Golly!!

Link to tweet

[NightWatcher]

24. Geez, it's almost like THEYRE ALL GUILTY!!!

[aggiesal]

30. I hope that is a true picture because ...

Pence's head looks like it was photo-shopped into the picture.
If this was on IQ45's website, I can believe that had it removed so that
Dolt45 appear more important.

But, if it is photo-shopped, the RW's will claim the whole image is photo-shopped
to make their fuhrer look guilty.

[kag]

49. Can't be 100% sure, but...

The original picture was published in the Miami Herald, and you can see Pence's shoulder in it. Not saying it couldn't be someone else, but there was definitely SOMEONE else in the picture.

[aggiesal]

63. I've seen the original picture ...

and you can see the shoulder very easily.
But if it was Pence, why didn't the Miami Herald show Pence as well as Trump?
A photo with both the pResident and his trusted VP, would make for better news.

The shoulder could belong to Pence and there is no reason it isn't, but
when you look at the photo with Pence in it, his face is much brighter than the
other 4 standing under the same light.

Of course I might just be reading too much into it.

[SunSeeker]

45. Stealing "Colludy Rudy"!

[triron]

18. Read the indictment here:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/politics/read-indictment-giuliani-associates-arrested-campaign-finance/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twCNN&utm_content=2019-10-10T14:17:29

[aggiesal]

20. We have to get rid of Citizens United ...

That SC ruling has opened the secret door into allowing these "donations" to happen.

Hopefully, this becomes a secret trap door, and catches all kinds of (R)'s in the process.

[SunSeeker]

46. And Florida's GOP Gov. DeSantis.

Link to tweet

[Raftergirl]

21. Pete Sessions is likely one

“A former member of Congress who pushed for political changes in Ukraine that aligned with Rudy Giuliani’s investigative efforts there got millions of dollars in political support from a pro-Trump super PAC financed in part by Giuliani allies.

The more than $3 million that the group, America First Action, spent supporting former Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) included huge ad buys that appear to have pushed the boundaries of laws restricting super PAC coordination with political campaigns, according to a Daily Beast review of federal campaign finance and television broadcasting records. And they could severely complicate the former congressman’s attempt to win back office in 2020.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/america-first-action-backed-by-giuliani-henchmen-spent-big-for-pete-sessions-after-he-targeted-ukraine-diplo

[flibbitygiblets]

25. Igor Fruman may also go by the name "Igr I Umanskaya"; hmm, what nationality could that be....

Or is that "Eye-gor"?

[Leghorn21]

31. Per msnbc - they were arrested at Dulles on their way out of town!!

[triron]

35. I am wondering why Barr allowed this indictment. Any ideas?

Or maybe SDNY did its own thing here?

[pecosbob]

38. No clue...I know they issued a stonewall response to the FEC the other day

I would think that the request for an indictment would have originated with the FEC.

[Leghorn21]

51. I have no idea, t!! "Standing by" for more details!

But what a grand day this is!!!

[getagrip_already]

53. See above - he engineered it.....

Short answer, they are going to dump it all on rudy. These guys will take a plea deal to say whatever barr wants.

And no testimony to congress, especially since plea deals are at stake.

Barr unfortunately isnt stupid. He is using absolute control over doj to control his fate.

[Leghorn21]

64. Bbbut hey grip, Lev and Igor have ties to Sessions, McCarthy and Lev threw a fundraiser for

DeSantis! Surely Barr can’t stamp all that out with his dirty lawyer loafers??!

Well, I dunno, but I have to go run errands, dammit...thanks for your post, though!

[getagrip_already]

66. Barr cares about barr, trump.

He doesnt care about the house gop. Notice no senators implicated, though they cant possibly be clean.

Just a thought.

[Leghorn21]

70. Ohhhh, I see - it's about those two ONLY, and the rest of the players can pound sand

Got it, thanks grip!!! Watching intently as this fustercluck plays out - -

[getagrip_already]

71. From trumps view, its just trump....

But barr is trying to clear himself. As long as he convinces trump, its carte blanche.

[Botany]

37. So Trump not only was talking to the President of Ukraine but was in contact with mafia types ...

... who are also in the pockets of Kevin McCarthy and other GOP congresspersons?

Wow how many republicans in the house and senate (Russian NRA money) were being
paid off by Vlad either directly or indirectly through 3rd parties such as people or businesses
in the Ukraine? And how many of these same players were busy in 2016 too?

[calimary]

39. It just never stops with these people and their Russian connections.

I guess that’s what the Dems have to do. STOP them. And we voters have to do our part with all vigor and relentlessness.

[SunSeeker]

42. I'm genuinely surprised that Barr didn't block this prosecution.

[getagrip_already]

54. Its his idea! See above - nt

[SunSeeker]

59. But nothing prevents them from tesifying before Congress just because they're in custody.

People in orange jumpsuits have testified before Congress many times. What possible basis would Barr claim to prevent their testimony, other than the defendants themselves choosing to assert the 5th Am?

[getagrip_already]

60. Just a plea deal....

They are facing decades in prison. With a plea they could get out in months. But NOT if they testify to anything that contradicts their testimony to the feds as part of that deal, which will be corrupt to the core.

The sdny has fallen. Its not in any way independent.

[SunSeeker]

65. Many of the same Assistant US Attorneys that were there under Obama remain.

I can't imagine they would countenance witness tampering or subversion of justice. If a crooked plea deal is in the works, that will get out. And I can't imagine it helping Trump all that much anyway. These two mafiosos can't erase what Trump said to Zelensky ("...need a favor though..." ) in that July 25 call, no matter what they try to pin on Colludy Rudy.

And just the fact that these guys will now get convicted for illegally donating to the Trump campaign will throw more dirty on Trump. If Barr had allowed them to escape, that wouldn't happen.

[getagrip_already]

67. Time will tell - but what sayeth rudy?

Apparently he is stunned into silence.

That alone tells you he is scared. Barr is protecting himself. If rudy takes a dive, he is clean.

[Bradical79]

57. They were leaving the country

Link to tweet

?s=09

To me it sounds like someone at SDNY decided to pull the trigger on the investigation or risk losing them forever.

[SunSeeker]

61. Yes, but why didn't Barr block it? Would it have been just too lawless even for him?

[getagrip_already]

62. They travel all the time....

Its more likely the feds just chose to arrest them at an airport. No guns, no place to run, no tv crews.

Just a come with us. Game over.

[Bonx]

47. Two Giuliani Associates Who Helped Him on Ukraine Charged With Campaign-Finance Violations

^ the correct article title, fwiw.

Let's not be xenophobia opportunists.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

68. The Trump GOP

One wholly owned criminal enterprise.