SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Oct 19 - 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 October 18
to 1 pm, there
was more cross
examiation of
Van Rensburg,
and the beginning on
Caroline
Booth.
Inner City Press
live tweeted here
(podcast here)
(vlog here)
During the
afternoon of
October 18,
Bondy cross
examined Rep Pete Sessions' (now Liz
Cheney's)
staffer
Caroline
Boothe, mortgage
broker Ross
and lawyer /
notary
Preminger. The
question of
Parnas testifying
arose. Inner
City Press
live tweeted
it here.
On the morning
of October
19, an
argument out
of hearing of
the jury about
what Parnas could
be cross
examined
about, if he
testified.
Inner City
Press live
tweeted it here
(and podcast
here)
now in
US v. Parnas
&
Kukushkin,
before what
may be final
day of US
witnesses,
Parnas' lawyer
Bondy lists
topics he'd
like
off-limits for
cross
examination if
Parnas
testifies,
starting w/
"Ukraine quid
pro quo."
Assistant US
Attorney :
There'd be no
limitation on
our use of the
proffer
material.
[Parnas did a
long interview
that did not
yield any
deal]
AUSA: Judge
Gardephe in
Avenatti said
that the
underlying
facts of his
previous cases
could be
raised.
Judge
Oetken: Did
Judge Gardephe
address the
5th Amendment
/ self -
incrimination
aspect of it?
AUSA : I don't
think so. A
defendant does
not have a 5th
amendment
privilege when
he takes the
witness stand,
at least on
matters your
Honor says are
appropriate
AUSA: We would
intend to get
into Ukraine
quid pro quo,
and Firtash.
Biden smear
campaign, not
so much.
Judge Oetken:
Mr. Bondy,
what do you
mean about
Ukraine quid
pro quo?
Bondy: What
President
Trump said on
the phone. The
launching of a
political
probe
Bondy: I know
Mr. Avenatti
also has a
case in
California.
AUSA
Roos:
Your Honor can
cut us off if
you think we
are baiting
him. Mr. Bondy
seems to be
saying if the
jury is
allowed to
hear these
thing they
won't believe
him...
Judge
Oetken: It
seems to me
that Fraud
Guaranty would
go to
credibility. I
think what
Judge Gardephe
did [in
Avenatti] was
right - you
can't ask
about the
indictment,
but yes the
underlying
acts. Bondy:
Mr. Avenatti
did not
testify...
AUSA
Hagen
"Sidearm"
Scotten: I
don't think
Mr. Parnas
would be cross
examined any
earlier than
this
afternoon, so
we have time
to look into
this. Bondy:
Why would
Firtash come
up? It's very
prejudicial
and has
nothing to do
with the
charges in
this case.
Bondy:
The Biden
smear
campaign?
AUSA: We're
not going to
get into it.
Bondy: The
Ukraine quid
pro quo is
high
inflammatory
and propertly
excluded under
403.
AUSA: Mr.
Parnas went on
TV and
discussed it,
how he
proposed deals
to politicians
AUSA: Anderson
Cooper asked
Parnas, You
proposed two
quid pro quos
to Ukrainian
politicians.
And Parnas
said yes. We
won't ask who
the
politicians
were.
Judge Oetken:
How does this
go to
truthfulness?
AUSA: Bribery
or quid pro
quo always
goes to
truthfulness.
Bondy: If it's
going to come
in, I'm going
to tell the
whole story on
direct. It
involved
Donald Trump,
Mike Pence,
Rick Perry,
Rudy
Giuliani...
AUSA: You
can't create
your own
prejudice --
Bondy: Just
because it's
said on TV
doesn't make
it admissible
AUSA:
You can't say
I want to draw
the sting and
then say it is
unfairly
prejudicial.
If Mr Bondy's
clients wants
to say he
engaged in
quid pro quo.
If the Court
says no
Giuliani, and
the Court said
it's
inappropriate,
we'll object
--
Bondy:
I've spoke
with attorneys
for Mr.
Ahearn. He'll
be at their
office by 1
pm. I intend
to put him on
the witness
stand. It will
bring us to
the end of the
day. AUSA: We
should be told
today if Mr.
Parnas will
testify
Bondy: I made
the argument
that Mr.
Parnas was
courageous, in
bringing the
cannabis issue
to Mr. Trump
who is not
predisposed
for it. I
didn't call it
patriotic. And
Mr. Scotten
never brought
it up at our
conference
afterward.
Judge Oetken:
I'm going to
stick to my
ruling.
Let's bring
the jury in
now, and
continues with
[forensic
accountant]
Ms. Espinosa.
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
Roots 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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