Igor Fruman, an associate of Giuliani, pleads guilty to soliciting a contribution from a foreigner

by

Fruman, 56, pleaded guilty to soliciting a contribution from a foreigner. He has up to five years in prison.

His request did not include any agreement to cooperate with the government.

Fruman had faced several charges. He and another Giuliani associate, Lev Parnas, were originally charged in October 2019. They were charged with conspiracy to violate a ban on foreign donations in federal and state elections, make false statements, and falsify records in the Federal Electoral Commission. They pleaded not guilty.

In September 2020, prosecutors filed additional charges that appeared to be designed to increase pressure on defendants to cooperate. Fruman and Parnas also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Parnas will have to go to trial in October.

On Friday, Fruman told the judge that two years ago, while trying to start a business to buy cannabis licenses in states that were legalizing the drug, he was in contact with a potential foreign investor. He said he sent the potential investor a list of possible donations to politicians in the relevant states, a step that constituted the request for a contribution.

“I deeply regret my actions and apologize to the court,” Fruman said.

The case against Fruman and Parnas drew attention initially because the couple had a close working relationship with Giuliani when he was a personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump. In 2019, Parnas and Fruman helped Giuliani’s attempt to gather harmful information in Ukraine about the son of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, who was on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

Although Parnas and Fruman had announced their closeness to Trump before facing federal charges, they have since distanced themselves from his orbit and he has claimed little of it.

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors have been investigating Giuliani’s activities in Ukraine, including whether he carried out illegal lobbying activities for Ukrainian officials while pursuing an investigation related to the Bidens, CNN reported. In April, federal agents executed search warrants in Giuliani’s apartment and office, and in recent weeks a retired federal judge has been reviewing materials confiscated during searches to determine if any they have privileges.

Giuliani has denied the lack of illegal acts.

The judge set Fruman’s sentence set for Jan. 21.

.Source