Parnas and his business partner and fellow Giuliani associate, Igor Fruman, are alleged by prosecutors to have illegally funded donations from foreign nations to Republican political campaigns in attempts to buy influence. They are also alleged to have aided Giuliani, the President’s personal attorney, in efforts to dig up political dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden.
The video of the rally is the latest example of how the pair who had little record of donations to candidates before 2018, wielded their proximity to Giuliani and used political donations to gain access to the president and political campaigns. Photos and videos throughout 2018 and 2019 show the pair traveling with the former New York City mayor throughout the world and to political events across the country.
The footage was found by CNN’s KFile during a review of the travel and political activity of Giuliani, Parnas and Fruman.
In the videos, Parnas sits in the area directly behind Trump before and during the rally. Parnas, who at times is wearing a blue hat and glasses, can be seen apparently taking a video of the President on his cellphone as he walks up the stairs to the stage.
At another point, Parnas leaves the area behind the podium to be along the path of the Trump’s exit at the bottom of the stage. He waves to the president as he leaves, and the president waves back in the direction of Parnas and the crowd.
Trump has publicly distanced himself from Parnas and Fruman since their indictment.
“I don’t know them,” Trump added. “I don’t know about them. I don’t know what they do but I don’t know, maybe they were clients of Rudy. You’d have to ask Rudy, I just don’t know.”
Neither Parnas nor Fruman returned a request for comment. A lawyer for Parnas declined to comment. A lawyer for Fruman did not return a request for comment. The Trump campaign did not return a request for comment.
Rally mentioned in indictments
The prosecutors wrote that “on or about October 20, 2018,” Parnas, Fruman and Kukushkin attended a campaign rally for “Candidate-1” in Nevada and took photos with “Candidate-2.” The trio then sent the photographs to “Foreign National-1,” whose identity has not yet been confirmed.
One of several midterm events attended by Parnas and Fruman
The Trump rally in Nevada was one of many events attended by Fruman and Parnas in the final weeks heading up the November 2018 midterm elections.
In photos posted on Twitter, Parnas and Fruman can be seen accompanying Giuliani to events in Michigan, New Hampshire, Florida, Indiana and again in Nevada.
Source : CNN