House Democrats on Wednesday released a second, much larger trove of documents from Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas.
The records included text messages, photos and other communications Parnas exchanged with key players in the Ukraine scandal, including the former Ukrainian prosecutors general Yuriy Lutsenko and Viktor Shokin.
Much of the documents aren’t in English, but Parnas also exchanges messages with the oil billionaire and Republican donor Harry Sargeant III and Joseph Ahearn, who Politico identified as an official at the pro-Trump America First Action PAC.
Parnas and his business associate Igor Fruman were arrested in October and charged with a scheme to violate campaign finance laws. Parnas has sought to share evidence collected in his case with House impeachment investigators, and some of it has started to be released publicly. A first document dump came Tuesday.
The records in Wednesday’s tranche appear in Tuesday’s, but there is compelling new material, as well — including Lutsenko talking with Parnas about issues at the center of the impeachment charges against President Donald Trump.
Lutsenko to Parnas on March 8: “these are not questions for a sitting president. In the heat of the campaign he (Poroshenko) cannot answer such questions about the ambassador, Biden, etc” pic.twitter.com/pxFlj2OM0e
— Josh Kovensky (@JoshKovensky) January 15, 2020
Lutsenko was upset that the State Dept initially defended Yovanovitch against false allegations peddled by @jsolomonReports. “So now not only the ambassador, but the State Dept will attack me??? Cool” he wrote to Parnas pic.twitter.com/28apjrYhjs
— Josh Kovensky (@JoshKovensky) January 15, 2020
In this exchange, Lutsenko appears to ask Parnas “when will I receive an invitation from the attorney general” pic.twitter.com/QLGBddox76
— Josh Kovensky (@JoshKovensky) January 15, 2020
Here we have Lutsenko telling Parnas he has evidence of payments from Burisma to Seneca (Hunter Biden’s firm) for half a million dollars. When Parnas says he can send them, Lutsenko replies “I’ll transmit them through the new ambassador :)” pic.twitter.com/uzJoXx4xod
— Josh Kovensky (@JoshKovensky) January 15, 2020
Here’s Lev Parnas and Lutsenko having a discussion about @AndriyUkraineTe pic.twitter.com/bHrEZk9HWg
— Josh Kovensky (@JoshKovensky) January 15, 2020
In another conversation in March, Ahearn, the America First Action official, asked Parnas, “What should I send don to tweet.” Parnas later sent Ahearn an article and tells the PAC official, “Have jr retweet it.” “Sent,” Ahearn replied.
In a colorful exchange a few days later, Parnas sent Ahearn pictures of himself suiting up in a bulletproof vest. “Jesus,” Ahearn texted back. “Be safe.” “Trust me trying,” Parnas responded.
In another message string, Parnas spoke with Tommy Hicks Jr., the co-chair of the Republican National Committee. “Driving Rudy now,” Parnas told Hicks.
Hicks encouraged Parnas to listen to a segment of a One America News Network show while driving.
“Wow this is exactly what we’ve been saying,” Parnas wrote.
The records also reveal a deeper connection than has been previously acknowledged between Parnas and Sargeant.
Sargeant has denied a scheme reportedly pursued by Parnas and Fruman to export American gas to Ukraine, but several times in the messages between Parnas and Sargeant, the men discuss Parnas’ expenses.
“I’m meeting with Rudy in 15-20 min I need to know what I’m talking about we have people scheduled to meet on Saturday in Vienna,” Parnas wrote to Sargeant on April 1o, after complaining that a trip had been cancelled.
“Just becoming expensive flying u guys everywhere LEV” Sargeant responded.
Read the documents here.
