Indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas says Trump 'knew exactly what was going on'

Lev Parnas with his wife, Svetlana Parnas.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani who worked to open doors for him in Ukraine, told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Wednesday that his actions weren't a secret.

"President Trump knew exactly what was going on," he said. "He was aware of all my movements. I wouldn't do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani, or the president. I have no intent, I have no reason to speak to any of these officials."

Parnas was arrested last fall and charged with campaign finance violations. Along with his business partner Igor Fruman, Parnas helped set up meetings for Giuliani with Ukrainian officials while Giuliani was looking to dig up dirt on a Trump political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden. Trump's attempt to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into launching an investigation into the Bidens and the Democratic National Committee is central to the impeachment articles passed by the House.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Zelensky and other leaders "have no reason to speak to me," Parnas told Maddow, adding, "Who am I? They were told to meet with me. And that's the secret they're trying to keep. I was on the ground doing their work."

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.