SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Oct 17 - In the Lev Parnas and
Andrey Kukushkin jury trial,
the first witnesses testified
on the afternoon of October
13. Inner City Press live
tweeted it here
and here.
Vlog here.
On October
14, Parnas' lawyer Joseph Bondy accused the
US Attorney's Office of racism, and AUSA
Hagen Scotten of threatening him with or
about a sidearm. Inner City Press live
tweeted it here
podcast here
On
the morning of October
15, before the jury came in, the
defense successfully argued to
have the jury instructed that the
Times Square
"street fight / racist"
video shown the day
before is not
relevant and is excluded.
Inner City Press
live tweeted
it here,
podcast here.
On Sunday
October 17,
the US
Attorney's
Office filed a
letter seeking
to bar cross-examination
about how was
at the Parnas
home during
the search,
but yes including
evidence
of his intent. And,
the US says,
"he key
disagreement
on these
exhibits
appears to be
that they
contain
nothing that
proves
the
facts for
which
Kukushkin
claims to
offer them.
For example,
Kukushkin’s
counsel has
argued that
DX B-2
“is evidence”
that Correia’s
trip to
California
“was about”
Correia
feigning a
purpose “to
come
investigate
Oasis on
behalf of
Fruman.” (Tr.
726). In fact,
DX B-2
indicates
merely that
Correia
was
traveling to
California at
Oasis’s
expense in
August 2018,
and says
nothing about
the trip’s
purpose." Full
letter on
Patreon
here.
From
October 15,
final hour -
cross
examination of
Deanne Janse
Van Rensburg
who would like
to leave NYC
today
Bondy:
Do you speak
Russian? A:
No.
Bondy: Have
you heard of a
restaurant
named Memo? A:
I have. Bondy:
Do you know
how much of
the refinance
of Igor
Fruman's condo
went to the
restaurant? A:
I don't. This
was a long
time ago.
Bondy: You
typed these
emails, right?
A: Yes. Bondy:
You
communicated
with Pete
Sessions'
chief of
staff, right?
A: Yes. Bondy:
At some point
you learned of
an FEC
complaint,
right? A: Yes.
Bondy:
You were upset
at being owed
money? A: It
was more
disappointing.
Bondy: But you
continued to
work at GEP?
A: I did.
Bondy: You're
aware Mr.
Fruman's names
is often
mis-said
Furman? A: Now
I do. Two
years ago
that's what I
remembered
Bondy: When
your daughter
was sick, Lev
Parnas and his
wife -- AUSA:
Objection.
Judge Oetken:
Sustained.
Bondy: In
filling out
the forms for
Ron DeSantis,
you indicated
that Igor
Furman and GEP
wanted to
contribute,
correct? A:
Yes.
Bondy: What is
ProtonMail? A:
An encrypted
email system.
Bondy: When
did the
government
speak to you
about Proton
email? A: They
asked me --
AUSA: Hearsay!
Judge Oetken:
Sustained.
Bondy:
Did you give
the ProtonMail
password of
Lev Parnas? A:
I don't
remember.
Bondy: Mr.
Kukushkin
arguing with
you about
airfare to a
briss, right?
A: Right. In
Miami. They
said, Igor's
going to take
care of it.
Bondy: And you
could take
eight donors
and put them
on a single
credit card?
A: I think it
was only seven
donors. Bondy:
Did you
communicate
with the
Congress
member's
staff, named
Tandy? A: Yes,
Tandy.
Bondy: In
April 2018,
Mr. Parnas
attended a
small dinner
at the Trump
International
Hotel, with
the President
of the US,
Donald Trump
Jr., and Igor
Fruman? A: I
don't
remember. I
remember
Mar-a-Lago.
Bondy: Did you
send a message
to Caroline
Booth -- AUSA:
Objection.
Judge Oetken:
Sustained.
Bondy: Mr.
Parnas would
sent you
articles and
you'd respond
with emojis to
stroke his
emotions,
without
reading them,
correct?
Deanna Janse
Van Rensburg:
Correct
Bondy:
Anywhere in
the universe
of the two
years you've
been speaking
to the
government, do
you have proof
A: I have a
text setting
up a call
about the
DeSantis
contribution
Bondy: And
what did Lev
say on the
phone? A: I
don't
remember. Lev
was very
consistent.
Deanna
Van Rensburg:
Caroline was
1st I had to
ask about how
to donate.
Bondy: And you
wouldn't
remember if
you were
wrong? AUSA:
Objection!
Judge Oetken:
Sustained
Bondy: Did you
ever meet Mr.
Giuliani? A:
Yes. At the
briss. Then
right before
they were
arrested.
Judge
Oetken:
Jurors, sorry
I kept you
past 4:30. I'm
going to let
you go. Don't
do any
research. And
leave your
pads here.
After jurors
leave, he says
1 juror had to
be somewhere.
AUSA: We're on
track to rest
early next
week - maybe
Monday, more
likely
Tuesday.
Now
arguments
about
admissibility
of exhibits,
US Attorney
Office wants
to keep out
mentions of
Steven Fruman
until he comes
to be cross
examined.
Earlier in
case, Judge
Oetken said
Steve Fruman
""may not be
suitable as a
co-signer" for
Igor's bond
Defense: Steve
Fruman refused
to talk to the
government. So
I don't think
he's available
to us.
Voice: Can we
just walk over
to Mamo?
Judge Oetken:
which ones?
Defense: A-1
lines 1 and 6
- line six is
key, we will
not agree to
redated it.
All of A-2,
A-3 line 11
Inner City
Press
@innercitypress
· 2h Defense:
A-10, line 2
and 6; A-12,
now US objects
to lines 2-7
and 7 AUSA
Roos: We're OK
with "Igor
please, I need
to pay the
Amex"
Defense:
His
sister-in-law,
his niece and
this brother
couldn't buy
lunch. AUSA: I
don't
understand the
relevance.
We'll let in
the part about
desperation.
Defense:
Steven was the
primary signer
on the black
Amex that got
cut off. So
they pressured
Muraviev.
Defense: Mr.
Scotten
mischaracterized
our
intent.
Judge Oetken:
How does this
relate to the
Russian Roots
email? AUSA:
I'm happy to
do a brief
letter. Judge
Oetken: I can
also look at
it.
AUSA: If
our narrative
falls apart,
the jury will
tell us. But
all they have
is eight
disparate
points. Judge
Oetken: That
could be
reasonable
doubt...
AUSA: I wish
they'd just
admit they are
aiming for a
mistrial.
Judge
Oetken: I'm
not ruling.
I'm too
tired.
AUSA: Some of
our witnesses
for Monday are
short. Judge
Oetken: How
short? Like
5'1"? Or 5'2"?
#RimShot
And now at
5:56 pm,
adjourned.
On October 11
Kukushkin asked to exclude a
slew of Government Exhibits,
full 8-page letter on Patreon
here.
On October 5
Judge Oetken held the final
pre-trial conference in
advance of October 12 jury
selection. Inner City Press
live tweeted it here
and below (podcast here)
Late on October 7
the US Attorney's Office has
written to Judge Oetken
seeking rulings in advance to
admit exhibits including "The
Inaugural Committee Articles,
the FEC Complaint Article, the
Time cover, and the Russian
Root Emails." Full letter on
Patreon here.
And now, song here.
On September 10,
Igor "The Glue" Fruman pleaded
guilty. Inner City Press live
tweeted it here
(with vlog;
podcast here)
The
case is US
v. Parnas, et
al.,
19-cr-00725
(Oetken).
***
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