WSJ News Exclusive Politics
Two Giuliani Associates Who Helped Him on Ukraine Arrested on Campaign-Finance Charges
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman are expected to appear in federal court in Virginia later on Thursday
By Aruna Viswanatha,
Rebecca Ballhaus and
Sadie Gurman
Updated Oct. 10, 2019 9:57 am ET
WASHINGTON—Two Soviet-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. Both men were 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.
The exact nature of the charges couldn’t immediately be determined.
more
https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign-born-men-who-helped-giuliani-on-ukraine-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-11570714188