Associated Press/Mark Lennihan; Associated Press/Susan Walsh
Lev Parnas, left, is reportedly willing to speak with Congress about Rep. Devin Nunes, right, and his efforts to dig up dirt on Biden.
- The Soviet-born businessman Lev Parnas is willing to tell Congress about meetings Rep. Devin Nunes held with Ukrainians to dig up dirt on Democrats, Parnas' lawyer told CNN.
- Parnas and Nunes began communicating roughly a year ago, and he tried to connect Nunes with Ukrainians who could help dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and other Democrats, Parnas' lawyer said.
- He added that Parnas learned from the ex-Ukrainian official Victor Shokin that Nunes met with Shokin in Vienna last December.
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The arrested businessman Lev Parnas is willing to tell Congress about meetings Rep. Devin Nunes held with Ukrainians to get dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, Parnas' lawyer told CNN on Friday.
Parnas' attorney, Joseph Bondy, told the network that his client learned from the ex-Ukrainian official Viktor Shokin that Nunes met with Shokin in Vienna last December.
Nunes is one of President Donald Trump's staunchest defenders and is the highest-ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, which is overseeing the impeachment inquiry into Trump.
Shokin was Ukraine's former prosecutor general who was forced out of his position in 2016, in part after western leaders like Biden denounced him over failing to prosecute corruption cases.
But Nunes has been an outspoken critic of the impeachment inquiry, and has accused Biden of trying to get Shokin fired to protect his son, Hunter Biden, from an investigation.
Nunes declined to comment to CNN on the story, telling a reporter on November 14 that "I don't want to talk to you in this lifetime or the next life time."
Bondy told CNN that Parnas and Nunes began communicating roughly a year ago, and that Parnas tried to connect Nunes with Ukrainians who could help dig up dirt on Biden and Democrats.
Parnas has said he was sent to Ukraine by Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to press the government into announcing an investigation into the Bidens or risk US military aid. Giuliani has denied the allegation.
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