Second Video Shows President Trump With Parnas, Fruman At Mar-a-Lago

A new video released by Lev Parnas’ lawyer shows President Donald Trump speaking with both Parnas and Igor Fruman during a fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on April 20, 2018.

Both Parnas and Fruman, former Rudy Giuliani associates, are facing federal indictments for their alleged roles in funneling foreign money into the United States in order to influence policy on Ukraine. They are also believed to have been key in Trump’s efforts to compel Ukrainian officials to investigate the Bidens.

Since the pair’s arrest last year, Trump has continued to maintain that he does not know either men. That claim, however, has struggled to stand up as Parnas continues to release photographs and videos of him with Trump. This recently released video, originally obtained by NBC News, runs for over 35 minutes and illustrates just how familiar Parnas and Fruman were with the president at the time.

The recording also shows Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and former Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in attendance. They both appear to be familiar with the Giuliani associates.

The Mar-a-Lago dinner took place 10 days before a dinner featured in a previously released video in which Trump can be heard ordering the then ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch to be fired. In the video, Parnas and Fruman can also be heard telling Trump that Yovanovitch had made negative statements about him.

Parnas has reappeared in the public eye in recent weeks, eager to offer evidence proving that the president and his administration not only organized a hold on military aid intended for Ukraine but that everyone was fully aware of these efforts. He’s also shared a great deal of documents with the House, including transcripts of text messages Parnas had sent suggesting he was in contact with people who were keeping Yovanovitch under surveillance.

Vice President Mike Pence has also been strongly insistent that he knows neither Parnas or Fruman. In response, Parnas released a video this month showing him at a dinner interacting with both Pence and his wife.