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Giuliani partner brings new evidence to Ukrainian plot 3:01
(CNN) - Stored on devices that police confiscated from Lev Parnas, there is a cell phone video in which Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's personal lawyer, enjoys a bullfight. There are also photos in which she appears posing with two bullfighters, a flamenco dancer who turns her skirt and an image of the father of the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó next to a tray of snacks in a Spanish castle.
The videos and photographs of Giuliani's trip to Spain, obtained exclusively by CNN, show Parnas' efforts to document and store a treasure trove of information. They have contributed to a campaign to drop the Parnas legal team to keep Giuliani's accused partner in the spotlight while building a defense, which could affect Giuliani, and finally the president, long after the political trial is over.
- READ: Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani's partner, implicates Trump in the plot of Ukraine
Last week, Parnas and his lawyer Joseph Bondy did the whole show of traveling to Washington and walking to the United States Senate, while the cameras followed. The two knew very well that Parnas could be denied entry to the political trial because he wore an ankle bracelet, an electronic device that violates the rules of the Senate chamber.
The ruse occurred days after Parnas's lawyer published an 83-minute recording made during a fundraiser at Trump International Hotel in April 2018, where President Donald Trump discusses the dismissal of the former US ambassador. in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, with Parnas and his business partner from which Igor Fruman separated.
Fruman made the recording and Parnas's lawyer published it. Yovanovitch was removed from office approximately one year later.
Parnas and Fruman were accused last year of alleged campaign financing violations by federal prosecutors in New York. They have pleaded not guilty. Parnas' role as Giuliani's alleged attorney in Ukraine and the information he possesses became an intriguing part of the political trial hearings. Fruman and his legal team are not cooperating with the political trial investigation and refused to comment on this story.
Parnas is not done
Parnas still has a hidden reserve of photographs and recordings, Bondy said. In addition to these elements, there are notes, text messages and other evidence that are currently in the hands of Congress. Federal New York investigators seized such materials from Parnas' phones and computers when he was indicted in October and the partner's legal team doubts Giuliani shared them with Congress after the judge in the case allowed them to do so in December.
More inquiries about Giuliani's partners 2:23"In recent months it has been revealed that Lev Parnas is a prolific collector of photos and videos," Bondy told CNN in an interview. “Contrary to what one might expect, Mr. Parnas has not destroyed any. On the contrary, it has preserved them. The universe of this topic of discussion has not yet been publicly revealed, but it is of interest in matters that go well beyond the investigation of political judgment, ”he added.
The images obtained by CNN correspond to trips that take a look at relationships that Giuliani has not wanted to discuss, specifically about the work he has done for legally besieged foreign clients whose interests could intersect with those of his most prominent client: the President of States United. Parnas said the photos help show the links Giuliani had with commercial and political interests in Venezuela.
When asked about the trip, Giuliani told CNN that he could not discuss the details because it is a matter of "national security." The lawyer is currently under federal investigation, but has not been charged with any crime.
- READ: Who is Rudy Giuliani? 15 facts you should know about Donald Trump's personal lawyer
Parnas told CNN - based on what he heard and saw during the trip last August - that Giuliani sought to argue that Alejandro Betancourt López, a wealthy Venezuelan client, should be treated with leniency by the Department of Justice because of the ties that he had with an opposition figure of great importance for US foreign policy. This was initially reported by Reuters.
The possible conflict of interest is a recurring theme with Giuliani. The situation has a striking similarity to the way in which Parnas described an effort to solve the legal problems faced by the Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash in the United States.
According to Parnas (and Firtash himself in a November interview with The New York Times ), Giuliani ordered Parnas to tell Firtash that Joseph di Genova and Victoria Toensing would represent him and could take his case to Justice Secretary William Barr. , if Firtash provided information about Joe Biden that could be useful for the 2020 election. CNN reported last month that Di Genova and Toensing - Giuliani's friends, in addition - had a personal meeting with Barr to discuss Firtash, who faces the extradition for bribery charges.
Firtash told The New York Times that he has no information about Biden or his son and that he did not fund any effort to discover negative issues about them. "Without my will or desire, I was absorbed by this internal struggle of the United States," he told the newspaper. Giuliani has said he "never met" Firtash, but has given conflicting answers about his information search.
Rudy Giuliani and Lev Parnas in a New York Yankees game in London in June 2019
Betancourt is approaching Giuliani
Parnas, Giuliani and Fruman met Alejandro Betancourt, 40, in June during a Yankee game in London, according to Parnas and another source with knowledge of that meeting. Two of the photos obtained by CNN show Giuliani and Parnas in the match. In one, Giuliani is seen using an electronic device that, according to Parnas, is to record his podcast. On the other they are, they are on the Yankees bench. News about Giuliani and Parnas in the game were first reported by CNF's KFile.
Parnas says that in London Betancourt asked Giuliani to join his legal team, which already had two former friends of Giuliani: former federal prosecutor Frank Wohl and former Miami-based Watergate prosecutor Jon Sale. “Frank and Jon are excellent lawyers. The only reason Rudy was also needed was to influence Barr, ”Parnas told CNN. A different source familiar with Betancourt's legal strategy told CNN that Giuliani's connections in the Department of Justice, including familiarity with Barr, were considered useful by Betancourt. Giuliani did not comment on this statement by Parnas.
Rudy Giuliani was in contact with Nicolás Mature in September 2018 2:05Parnas told CNN that hiring lawyers close to Barr was an idea that Firtash was developing at the same time, who shared that thought with him. "For both Firtash and Betancourt, the only point to hire these lawyers was to get to Barr," Parnas said.
In the Yankees game and then during the discussions in London, Parnas said Betancourt invited Giuliani, him and others to Spain.
A castle near Madrid
Most of the images that have just been published and a video shared with CNN document the week-long trip Parnas made with Giuliani last summer to a castle on the outskirts of Madrid to meet Betancourt.
According to Parnas, who spoke with CNN about the trip, no expense was saved in an effort to impress the president's personal lawyer and a large entourage traveling with him, including the families of Parnas and Fruman. The trip was first reported by Daily Beast. Giuliani told that media that he was there for business and vacations.
Parnas told CNN that Giuliani made two videos while he was there and told him they would serve two purposes. First, to help Betancourt, a Venezuelan energy executive who seeks to avoid possible criminal charges related to a $ 1 billion money laundering case filed in Florida last year.
- READ: The precipitous fall of Rudy Giuliani, the "mayor of the United States"
Second, the video was intended to show that Betancourt was valuable to Juan Guaidó, the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, controlled by opsition, and who has been recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States, as interim president of the country.
"The purpose of the videos was 100% to show Trump how useful Betancourt was to the Guaidó," Parnas said. Trump's support for Guaidó was displayed this week. Guaidó was invited to the speech of the president of the State of the Union and spent two days in Washington meeting with Trump in the White House, as well as members of the State Department. He received a great ovation from Republicans and Democrats when Trump referred to Guaidó in his speech and called him the "true and legitimate president of Venezuela."
A source familiar with Giuliani's legal strategy confirmed that Giuliani did record videos for the Department of Justice, but denied Parnas's claim that any video was intended for the president. There is no indication that Giuliani has shown the videos in the Department of Justice or Trump. The Department of Justice declined to comment for this story. Betancourt and his lawyers did not respond to CNN's requests for comment.
When asked about the trip to Madrid and Betancourt's video recordings, Giuliani responded in a text message to CNN: “His story about the interview he was given is not only an unreliable source, but a proven liar… I can't talk about recordings or confirm or deny them. ”
Parnas, who does not have the videos in his possession, insists that the recordings were also for the president. "I would assure under oath that the purpose of the recording of Guaidó and the recording of Betancourt was to show them to President Trump, although the video of Betancourt was designed primarily for the Department of Justice and for Barr," Parnas added.
Lev Parnas cleans Giuliani's face in London in 2019.
August in Spain
Parnas says he was often asked to organize logistics for Giuliani and meet his smallest needs. A photograph reviewed by CNN shows Parnas cleaning Giuliani's face.
The messages from Parnas's cell phone that were delivered to the House of Representatives investigators for the political trial hearing reveal that the details of Giuliani's trip to Madrid were organized by Parnas, who arranged for the airport's reception. “When you arrive in Madrid there will be someone waiting for you with a sign that says 'NUBA' at the plane's door. They will take you through customs. ”
The first stop of the trio in Madrid was with Andriy Yermak, the right hand of Volodymyr Zelensky, the new president of Ukraine.
After that, according to Parnas, a large group descended to the Alamín Castle. The group included Giuliani's girlfriend, Dr. Maria Ryan, and Wohl, as well as the families of Parnas and Fruman. Wohl did not respond to the request for comments, but a source close to Giuliani verified Parnas' information about the guest list. A photo shows Giuliani sitting in a chair smoking a cigar with Ryan in his lap. In another they appear posing for a photo with Betancourt in the background.
Wilmer Guaidó in a castle on the outskirts of Madrid.
Wilmer Guaidó, the taxi driver who is the father of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, also told CNN Parnas and another source. Wilmer Guaidó appears in one of the images while having a snack. He did not answer CNN's questions about his presence in the castle. Reuters first reported that Guaidó Sr. was at the meeting.
Parnas said that during the trip Giuliani installed his recording equipment on the castle grounds and made video interviews with Betancourt and Wilmer Guaidó. He also spoke with Juan Guaidó through FaceTime, according to Parnas.
"Giuliani told me that Betancourt explained in his interview that he had provided secret financial support to the family and the Guaidó regime," Parnas told CNN. This would clearly put Betancourt in a good status with the president, since Guaidó's position is based on support from the United States.
Betancourt and his lawyer have not responded to CNN's request for comment. Reuters reported that Guaido has denied any financial relationship with Betancourt. Reuters could not determine whether Betancourt helped fund the US-backed opposition.
- LEE: The Washington Post: Giuliani lobbied in the Justice Department for a Venezuelan client who received him in Madrid for a meeting with a Ukrainian official
It was assumed that Betancourt, who had won millions with the contracts of the Venezuelan government, was a supporter of the rival and oppressive regime of the socialist Nicolás Maduro. The United States has recognized Guaido and not Maduro as the Venezuelan official president since early 2019.
While in Spain, Giuliani told Parnas he was sure he could solve Betancourt's legal problems "in a couple of weeks," according to Parnas.
A month later, in September, Giuliani met with officials of the Department of Justice to discuss the case of Betancourt and Barr attended the meeting. A source familiar with the event says the videos were not shown to Barr and would not comment if they were shown to lawyers there. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the meeting.
Subsequently, Parnas says he met with Giuliani at the Trump International hotel in Washington. According to a conversation that Parnas says they had, Giuliani seemed to think that the meeting had gone well. But that was before Parnas and Fruman were arrested on charges in early October, followed by reports that Giuliani is under federal investigation.
Donald Trump Political Judgment Lev Parnas Rudolph Giuliani Rudy Giuliani