An attorney for Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas is seeking to drop him as a client, saying that it would be a “significant hardship” for the Boca Raton businessman to keep paying him.
Attorney Edward MacMahon wrote in the Tuesday court filing that he began representing Parnas after his October 2019 indictment and arrest at Washington Dulles airport. But since then, MacMahon wrote, “Mr. Parnas’ apparent ability to fund his defense has diminished.”
“It thus would constitute a significant hardship for Mr. Parnas to continue
being represented by two attorneys in this matter,” the filing reads.
Parnas’ other attorney – New York City-based Joe Bondy – will continue the representation.
“The legal strategy has not changed,” Bondy said in a tweet.
This was a decision made in Mr. Parnas’s and Mr. MacMahon’s best interests. The legal strategy has not changed, and Mr. Parnas remains firmly committed to providing his evidence and testimony to Congress—#LetLevSpeak #LevRemembers https://t.co/ks4hBtXG6Q
— Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) December 24, 2019
MacMahon’s departure comes days after a contentious dispute in Parnas’ case in which federal prosecutors accused him of misstating his financial assets and lying to his pretrial services officer.
U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken agreed that some of Parnas’ behavior was “concerning,” but kept the Giuliani associate’s existing conditions of home confinement in place.
Parnas faces campaign finance charges emanating from an alleged scheme to funnel foreign and excess contributions into GOP campaign coffers.
The Giuliani associate has publicly split from President Trump since his indictment, and has said that he is providing documents to the House Intelligence Committee in its ongoing impeachment inquiry.
Always tough to see a grifter run out of money.
Translation:
This was a decision made in Mr. Parnas’s and Mr. MacMahon’s best interests. The legal strategy has not changed, and Mr. Parnas remains firmly committed to providing his evidence and testimony to Congress—#LetLevSpeak #LevRemembers https://twitter.com/klasfeldreports/status/1209598253030952962
— Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) December 24, 2019
Parnas and his legal team have made it abundantly clear on multiple occasions, very publicly, that Parnas is willing to spill his guts to prosecutors and the courts, ASAP. Typically that would be an open plea for leniency, but I’m more curious how they think all this signaling is being received by Trump, and what benefit it might provide from him.
I am sure there is a local public defender willing to take a dive on a case.
Depending on what he has to offer I think there might not be a trial. He pleas to reduced charges with a prearranged sentencing agreement, and forks over everything they ask for. Rick Gates redux.