A federal judge declined to revoke bail for Rudy Giuliani associate, Lev Parnas, rejecting prosecutors' allegations that he misrepresented his assets and income and was a flight risk. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
License Photo
Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Tuesday declined to revoke the bail of Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-born associate of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul Oetken rejected prosecutors' accusations that Parnas posed an "extraordinary flight risk" after being indicted for allegedly violating campaign finance laws through his association with Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, with links to Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.
Oetken also said he could not rule that Parnas had misstated information about his assets and income, including telling Justice Department officials that he and his wife had about $450,000 in total assets and income, while prosecutors said they had more than three times that amount.
"I don't know that it rises to the level of intentional misstatements warranting the revocation of bail," Oetken said.
An attorney for Parnas also said $1 million was wired from Russia to a bank account belonging to his wife as a loan, while federal prosecutor Rebekah Donaleski said the money was sent by Firtash.
"Even now the government isn't clear how much money he has," Donaleski said. "We still have serious questions as to how Mr. Parnas is getting his money."
Parnas and his business partner Igor Furman were arrested Oct. 9 and charged with counts including conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud, false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records, part of an alleged scheme to "funnel foreign money to U.S. candidates."
The two men had been working with Giuliani in his efforts to persuade Ukraine to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, at the time of their arrest.
