The Justice Department charged Andrey Muradiev, 47, with planning to funnel $1 million in political donations towards candidates for federal or state office who could help him, his co-conspirators, obtain marijuana and cannabis licenses for their future ventures. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the co-conspirators in this case, were already charged with their involvement in the scheme.
Fruman pleaded guilty September while Parnas and Kukushkin were convicted October.
Rudy Giuliani’s business associates, Fruman and Parnas, helped President Trump in Ukraine to obtain damaging information about his son Hunter. Hunter Biden was a member of the board at Burisma, Ukraine’s energy company.
Trump’s efforts in Ukraine formed part of his first impeachment proceedings in 2019 in which he was accused of pressuring Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to investigate Mr. Biden after he had frozen nearly $400 million in military aid to the country.
Indictment in New York federal district court, unsealed Monday, alleges Muraviev and co-defendants started a business to secure marijuana and retail licenses in the U.S.
Prosecutors allege that Muraviev wired $1million from foreign bank accounts to Fruman’s business account. This money was to be used for campaign donations in Florida, Nevada, and Texas. According to the indictment, Muraviev also agreed that his money would be used to fund donations to candidates in New York City and New Jersey.
In order to hide Muraviev’s source of donations, defendants allegedly made contributions in Fruman’s or Parnas’ names. Indictment mentions two instances in November 2018 in which Muraviev money was used to make $10,000 each to two Nevada candidates.
These contributions were said to have been made in order to influence candidates who might help the group get cannabis licenses.
Adam Laxalt (a Republican candidate for governor of Nevada in 2018) testified that he was given a $10,000 check by a company linked to Parnas and Fruman but was told to reject it.
Muraviev faces charges of making illegal political contributions as an alien national as well as conspiring to make illegal donation as an alien national in the name and place of straw donors. According to the Justice Department, he was believed to be in Russia. He is still at large.
Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York stated in a statement that Andrey Muraviev (a Russian national) attempted to influence the 2018 election by conspiring with his foreign funds to support candidates and campaigns. He tried to corrupt the political system in order to promote his business interests. The Southern District is determined to stop foreigners from interfering with our elections.