In a case filed in Federal Court Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is accused of arresting an associate of Rudy Giuliani in order to prevent him from testifying against President Donald Trump during the impeachment trial.
Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-born businessman who in 2018 and 2019 ran political errands in Ukraine on behalf of Giuliani and Trump, made explosive allegations against Barr in the court filing, accusing the outgoing Attorney General of timing his arrest last fall in order to prevent him from testifying at House impeachment hearings last fall.
According to Salon, “the motion was filed in the Southern District of New York by attorneys for Parnas, who argues that his indictment last October was part of an intervention by Barr “to protect the President and thwart [Parnas’] testimony in the impeachment inquiry.”
Parnas’ motion seeks to convince the court to turn over numerous documents about the circumstances surrounding his investigation and arrest, as well as the investigation (or lack thereof) of other people associated with the Ukraine affair.
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The filing cites numerous instances of the attorney general improperly inserting himself on Trump’s behalf in other legal matters, such as the cases of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone and Trump sexual-assault accuser E. Jean Carroll.
The filing comes as federal prosecutors in New York have discussed with Justice Department officials in Washington seeking a warrant for Giuliani’s electronic communications. Giuliani’s business dealings abroad have been part of a federal probe led by the FBI and the Southern District of New York, according to multiple reports and individuals familiar with the case.
