November 8, 2019

Watch This Closely: New Details On How Giuliani Pal Met Ukrainian Oligarch

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/watch-this-closely-new-details-on-how-giuliani-pal-met-ukrainian-oligarch
"One of the most potentially explosive connections in the metastasizing Trump/Giuliani/Ukraine scandal is that of Dmitry Firtash. A middleman in the gas trade between Ukraine and Russia who federal prosecutors describe as an “upper-echelon” member of the Russian mafia, Firtash appears to be using debunked allegations that Giuliani has made against Joe Biden in a last-ditch bid to prevent his extradition from Austria to the United States on foreign bribery charges. He has long argued that the case against him is politically motivated, and his legal team appears to see the dirt that President Trump wanted to Ukraine to manufacture against Biden as potentially useful to his case. A new Wall Street Journal report reinforces the point, while adding intriguing new timing. Take a look at the following paragraph: In June, Mr. Firtash was introduced to Lev Parnas, a Florida businessman who aided Mr. Giuliani’s efforts to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, according to the person with knowledge of the tycoon’s Vienna legal strategy. Mr. Parnas recommended hiring Mr. DiGenova and Ms. Toensing, the lawyers who back Mr. Trump. The lawyers in turn brought Mr. Parnas on as a translator, their law firm said in a statement. Parnas is the Giuliani buddy who was indicted last week, and who allegedly pressured Ukrainian prosecutors to fabricate dirt for President Trump’s benefit."