By Katherine Faulders, John Santucci and
Allison Pecorin
November 24/25, 2019 "Information
Clearing House" -
The House Intelligence
Committee is in possession of audio and video
recordings and photographs
provided to the committee by Lev Parnas, an
associate of President Donald Trump’s personal
attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who reportedly played a
key role in assisting him in his efforts to
investigate former Vice President
Joe Biden and
Ukraine, multiple sources familiar with the
matter tell ABC News.
The material submitted
to the committee includes audio, video and
photos that include Giuliani and Trump. It was
unclear what the content depicts and the
committees only began accessing the material
last week.
"We have subpoenaed
Mr. Parnas and Mr. [Igor] Fruman for their
records. We would like them to fully comply with
those subpoenas," House Intelligence Committee
Chairman Adam Schiff told CNN Sunday, with a
committee spokesperson adding they would not
elaborate beyond the chairman's comments.
An attorney for Parnas,
Joseph A. Bondy, also declined to comment,
directing ABC News to a statement released
earlier in the day Sunday reading in part, "Mr.
Parnas has vociferously and publicly asserted
his wish to comply with his previously issued
subpoena and to provide the House Intelligence
Committee with truthful and important
information that is in furtherance of justice,
not to obstruct it."
The statement goes on
to say, "His evidence and potential testimony is
non-partisan, and not intended to be part of a
battle between the left and the right, but
rather an aid in the determination by our
government of what is in the best interests of
our nation."
Sources tell ABC News
the tapes were provided as part of that
congressional subpoena issued to Parnas, and the
former Giuliani ally also provided a number of
documents both in English and Ukrainian to the
committee in two separate productions, sources
told ABC News.
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However, some of
the material sought by congressional
investigators is already in possession of
federal investigators within the Southern
District of New York and thus held up from
being turned over, according to sources
familiar with the matter.
Parnas' associate,
Fruman, has not cooperated with the committee.
Parnas, a
Ukraine-born, American businessman, was
subpoenaed last month by House committees at the
same time as Fruman. The two men had previously
announced through their attorney at the time
that they would not be complying with the
subpoena.
Separate from the
House impeachment probe, Parnas and Fruman
were arrested earlier this fall at the
Dulles International Airport just outside of
Washington, with one-way international tickets,
and charged in a criminal campaign finance case
in the Southern District of New York. Accused of
allegedly circumventing campaign finance laws
against straw donations and foreign
contributions, Parnas and Fruman pleaded not
guilty.
According to the
indictment, Parnas sought then-Ukraine
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch’s ouster earlier
this year along with his efforts to get
Ukrainian officials to investigate the
president’s political rival, matters that have
repeatedly emerged in the House impeachment
inquiry.
Giuliani’s
relationship with Parnas and Fruman is the
subject of a criminal investigation in the
Southern District of New York, that case will
have its next court date early next month.
This article was
originally published by "ABC
News" - -