| Mike Pompeo Says Never Heard of
Parnas Until This All Became Public On Way
to Colombia
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Periscope
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 19 – Whether any US
government agency engaged in
wiretapping not authorized by
a court in connection with the
prosecution of Lev Parnas,
Igor Fruman, David Correia and
Andrey Kukushkin came up near
the end of a conference in the
case on December 2,
live-tweeted by Inner City
Press here.
More on Patreon, here.
Now on
January 19, this from US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
traveling from Germany's
meeting on Libya on his way
Colombia: "Q: something you
said on some radio shows last
week about not communicating,
not knowing Lev Parnas.
Can you say that you knew what
he was tasked with as an
associate of Rudy Giuliani on
behalf of the President
personally, while he was in
Ukraine?
SECRETARY
POMPEO: I’d never heard
of Lev Parnas until this all
became public."
On December
17 Parnas and his lawyer
Joseph A. Bondy argued against
the government's requested
revocation of his bail, and
even for more freedom in
Florida where Parnas is
living. After nearly two hours
of argument, things remained
exactly the same, with Judge
Oetken denying both sides'
applications. Here's some
of how it went, more on
Patreon here.
On January
11 Bondy wrote to Judge Oetken
seeking formal permission to
turn over more discovery
documents to Congress. On
January 13, Judge Oetken
approved the transfer:
"Modification of the
Protective Order to allow
production of materials
extracted from certain of Mr.
Parnas' electronic devices,
including a Samsung phone,
iPad and iPhone, to the US
House of Representatives
Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, in connection
with the impeachment inquiry
of President Donald J. Trump
(unopposed). as to Lev Parnas
(1)...ENDORSEMENT: Granted.
Defendant Lev Parnas may
produce the materials
referenced herein to the
United States House of
Representatives Permanent
Select Committee on
Intelligence. SO ORDERED.
(Signed by Judge J. Paul
Oetken on 1/13/20)."
Inner City Press will stay on
this - watch this site.
The next
conference in
the case is
set for
February 3 at
2 pm. Here's
the December 2
blow
by blow.
Back on November
1, Igor Fruman had three
requests denied, to loosen
bond restrictions and have his
brother Steve as a bond
co-signer, all denied on
November 1 by
Judge
Oetken.
Periscope here.
Back on October
23 Lev Parnas' lawyer raised
the issue of executive
privilege and the need for a
US Department of Justice taint
team when his client, along
with Igor Fruman, were
arraigned and both pleaded not
guilty.
Inner City
Press thread here.
Judge Oetken
inquired into
whether Parnas
worked for
President
Trump - his
lawyer said no
- then put off
the issues,
and the
setting of a
trial date,
until December
2 at 2 pm.
Parnas will be
under home
detention with
GPS monitoring
in the
Southern
District of
Florida, with
no contact
with
co-defendants
outside the
presence of
counsel.
That's a
condition
co-defendent
David
Correia's
lawyer said he
intended to
revisit,
telling Inner
City Press it
was because of
business
relationships,
see below.
Here's
some of how it
went on
October 23:
Judge
Oetken's
deputy tells
the lawyers,
The room is
cavernous,
please speak
up. Now Judge
Oekten says,
we're hear for
arraignment on
a four count
indictment.
Asks for time
of arrest and
about
presentment
AUSA:
Parnas will be
released on a
$1 million
bond.
Pre-trial
supervision
out of
Southern
District of
Florida. Home
detention with
GPS
monitoring; DC
for legal
visits.
Surrender
passport, no
contact with
co-defendants
outside
presence of
counsel
(Correia
disputes)
AUSA:
Igor Fruman
putting up a
condo. Judge
Oetken
approves the
bail
conditions;
now proceeding
to the
arraignment,
Parnas first.
He waives
public reading
of the
indictment.
Pleads Not
Guilty.
Now
Fruman pleads
not guilt.
Judge Oetken
asks AUSA to
describe the
discover in
the
case.
AUSA: multiple
search
warrants, 50
bank accounts,
"the
investigation
is ongoing."
AUSA:
By the Dec 2,
2 pm
pre-trial
conference US
will know
more. Judge
Oetken: Given
the volume of
discovery, not
setting a
trial date
yet. Might set
it on Dec 2.
Parnas' lawyer
will be out of
the country on
that day, he
says.
Parnas'
lawyer says
there should
be DOJ
taint team,
says that
there are
excutive
privilege
issues...
"hese are
issues we need
to be very
sensitive"
with, he
says.
Judge
Oetken: When
you say
executive
privilege,
you're not
suggesting
your client
worked for the
President, are
you? Parnas'
lawyer: No, my
client worked
with Mr.
Giuliani.
Parnas'
lawyer: If
information
gets out then
we determine
it is all
privileged,
we've got a
problem. AUSA:
This is the
first that
we've heard of
this... With
respect with
executive
privilege,
we're happy to
have a
conversation.
Judge
Oetken to
Parnas'
lawyer: if
there's a
particular
application
that you want
to make, I'm
all ears. Are
you going to
reach a
protective
order? AUSA:
We are working
on it. Judge
Oetken:
Anything else?
Only exclusion
of time under
the Speed
Trial Act. To
Dec 2
Judge
Oetken: Okay,
I'll see you
all on
December 2 at
2 pm. Inner
City Press
said it would
be there- and
it was. The
case is US
v. Parnas, et
al.,
19-cr-00725
(Oetken).
***
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