Giuliani associates plead not guilty

New York – Two business associates of Rudy Giuliani have pleaded not guilty in their campaign finance case.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arraigned Wednesday on charges they conspired to make illegal contributions to political committees supporting President Donald Trump and other Republicans. Prosecutors say the pair wanted to use the donations to lobby U.S. politicians to oust the country’s ambassador to Ukraine.

At the time, Giuliani was trying to get Ukrainian officials to investigate the son of Trump’s potential Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Giuliani has said he knew nothing about the donations.

Prosecutors say Parnas and Fruman also worked with two other men in a separate scheme to make illegal campaign donations to politicians in several states in an attempt to get support for a new recreational marijuana business.

Prosecutors say Parnas and Fruman made donations while lobbying U.S. politicians to oust the country’s ambassador to Ukraine. Giuliani – who at the time was trying to get Ukrainian officials to investigate the son of Trump’s potential Democratic challenger, Joe Biden – has said he knew nothing about the donations.

Prosecutors say Parnas and Fruman worked with two other men, David Correia and Andrey Kukushkin, in a separate scheme to make illegal campaign donations to politicians in several states in an attempt to get support for a new recreational marijuana business.

Correia and Kukushkin pleaded not guilty last week at a hearing where prosecutor said evidence includes data from over 50 bank accounts and information gathered through 10 search warrants. The prosecutor told the judge that the government’s investigation is ongoing.

All the defendants are U.S. citizens, but Kukushkin and Parnas were born in Ukraine and Fruman in Belarus. All are free on bail.