A businessman involved in Giuliani's quest for Biden dirt claims he was sent on mission to broker a 'quid pro quo,' and his testimony could be highly damaging for Trump

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Lev Parnas arrives at federal court for an arraignment hearing on October 23, 2019 in New York City.

• A lawyer for arrested businessman Lev Parnas told The New York Times that his client was sent on a mission to Ukraine by President Donald Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to tell the Ukrainian government to announce a probe into Joe Biden or lose military aid.
• The claim that Trump abused his office in pressuring Ukraine to announce a Biden probe is the focus of an impeachment inquiry recently launched by House Democrats.
• According to Parnas' attorney, his client believes that Giuliani was acting on Trump's authorization when he dispatched Parnas to Ukraine.
• Trump has denied that a "quid pro quo" deal - or demand for a favor in return for military aid - was ever sought with Ukraine.
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An arrested businessman claims he was sent to Ukraine by President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to tell the Ukrainian government to announce a probe into Joe Biden and his son or lose US military aid, the man's lawyer told The New York Times.

Parnas' lawyer, Joseph Bondy, told the publication that his client believed that Giuliani was acting under Trump's direct authorization when he sent him on the mission to Ukraine in May, where he delivered the ultimatum to a close aide of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Parnas also claims he told the aide that Vice President Mike Pence would cancel attendance at Zelensky's swearing-in ceremony unless Ukraine complied.

Trump has denied that any "quid pro quo" deal - or arrangement in which a favor was demanded from Ukraine in return from military aid - was ever placed on the table. A whistleblower's complaint about the alleged attempt to broker the deal has led House Democrats to launch an impeachment probe into Trump.

Several people involved in Parnas' meeting in statements to the Times denied his account of what took place.

Giuliani told the Times he "never authorized such a conversation" as Parnas claims took place with the Ukrainian official in May.

The report is further indication the Parnas has turned against Trump and Giuliani. He was reportedly upset when Trump denied ever knowing him, despite multiple photographs showing Parnas and Trump together, and had opened talks with impeachment investigators.

His testimony could be important for House Democrats probing impeaching Trump, as he was reportedly closely involved in Giuliani's "shadow foreign policy" campaign in Ukraine for information which would be damaging for Biden's reputation.

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani has coffee with Russian born businessman Parnas at Trump Hotel in Washington

Biden is one of the leading Democratic candidates for the presidency in 2020, and no evidence has emerged to substantiate claims that he abused his then office as vice president to quash an investigation into Burisma, an energy firm where his son, Hunter, served on the board.

Last month Parnas and his associate, Igor Fruman, were arrested at a Washington, DC airport with one-way tickets to Europe on charges that they illegally channeled foreign money into Republican campaigns. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Fruman, who accompanied Parnas on the May trip, denied his account of what occurred in a statement to the Times.