Personal Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s former associate Lev Parnas insisted that he had more evidence where his previous drops came from, and he has delivered. This Thursday, on the final day of the question-and-answer component of President Donald Trump’s ongoing impeachment trial, Parnas (through his lawyer) released a second tape that appears to show him interacting with the president, who’s claimed that he doesn’t know him. Parnas was a key figure (alongside Giuliani and fellow associate Igor Fruman) in the quest to pressure Ukraine into investigating Trump’s political opponents, which sits at the core of the impeachment proceedings.
The latest audio is from an April 2018 fundraising dinner, the Daily Beast explains. That dinner also featured then-Texas Congressman Pete Sessions, who actually ended up figuring into the federal campaign finance law violations case brought against Parnas and Fruman. The duo illegally donated more than allowed to Sessions while pressuring him to help get Marie Yovanovitch fired, who was serving as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and was baselessly supposed to stand in the way of plans for a Ukraine investigation of Trump opponents.
The new, second audio clip comes after an initial release that actually featured Parnas and Trump discussing Yovanovitch. Confronted with allegations that she was badmouthing him overseas, Trump railed to those in attendance to “take her out.” Eventually, Trump did fire her, and she has since become one of the most high-profile witnesses in the impeachment proceedings.
During the trial portion of those proceedings this week, Parnas — who has completely flipped against his former associates — stopped by the Capitol building itself. Republicans like Ted Cruz completely wrongly alleged that he tried to enter the gallery of the trial itself and was ejected because of the electronic ankle bracelet that he was wearing — but that simply did not happen.
More #FakeNewsTedCruz. We knew before we arrived in Washington DC that Lev would not be admitted to the Gallery. As a citizen, Lev proudly came, stood vigil asking to be called as a witness, and you falsely impugned him. For a POTUS who insulted your wife? Remember who you love. https://t.co/kDFpqvFmF3
— Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) January 30, 2020
Parnas’s lawyer Joseph Bondy has been advocating for a full airing of the case against the president at his trial, which, if basic principles of fairness are followed, will include witnesses.
As he put it in a message directed to Iowa’s Joni Ernst (among others directed at other Republican Senators):
‘As the vote looms near, we urge you to choose America over party, and people over politics. Real trials have witnesses.’
Good morning, Senator Joni Ernst. @SenJoniErnst. (202) 224-3254. As the vote looms near, we urge you to choose America over party, and people over politics. Real trials have witnesses. #TrialsHaveWitnesses #LetLevSpeak #LevRemembers #BoltonMustTestify #DoTheRightThing pic.twitter.com/XnM52R8L4H
— Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) January 30, 2020
Ernst has made her own headlines recently with her brazen attempt to depict Republicans’ support of Trump’s conspiracy theories about his opponents as meant to depress their electoral chances.
She told reporters:
‘Iowa caucuses are this next Monday evening. And I’m really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters, those Democratic caucus goers. Will they be supporting VP Biden at this point?’
Biden’s spokesperson Andrew Bates pointed out the implications of her remarks. He commented:
‘Senator Ernst just said the quiet part out loud. Republicans are terrified that Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee.’
By and large, Republicans have adamantly refused to break with Trump no matter the ample evidence against him that has continued to accumulate as his trial has continued.
