The role of a former pro golfer in the business dealings of two indicted Rudy Giuliani associates in Ukraine has been revealed in new texts messages.
David Correia worked to further the business interests of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman in their bid to sell liquefied US natural gas to Ukraine and other parts of Europe through Poland, it has been revealed.
While Ukraine-born Parnas and Belarus-born Fruman worked to dig up dirt on the Bidens, Correia was attempting to make their time in the country worthwhile from a business point-of-view, according to CNN.
Correia is one of five men, including Parnas and Frumam, charged with using straw donors to funnel illegal contributions to politicians they thought could help their political and business interests, including a pro-Trump super PAC as well as committees supporting other Republicans.
The 44-year-old appeared in federal court in Manhattan in October alongside fellow businessman Andrey Kukushkin to enter not guilty pleas.
David Correia with President Trump at an October 2016 fundraiser in the Florida home of businessman Robert Pereira in Hillsboro Beach, Florida
Lev Parnas arriving at court in New York earlier this month. Parnas and Igor Fruman are close associates to President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani
Correia returned to the US and turned himself in after the arrest of Parnas and Fruman, who worked with Giuliani to try and get Ukrainian officials to investigate the son of former Democrat vice president, Joe Biden.
Prosecutors have accused Parnas and Fruman of using a shell company to donate $325,000 to a pro-Trump election committee and of raising money for former House Representative Pete Sessions of Texas as part of an ultimately successful effort to have the president remove Marie Yovanovitch as ambassador to Ukraine.
Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer and a former New York City mayor, has said he had no knowledge of illegal donations and had not seen any evidence that Parnas and Fruman did anything wrong.
Prosecutors allege American-born Correia, who owns a home with his wife in West Palm Beach, teamed with Parnas, Fruman and Kukushkin, in a separate scheme to make illegal campaign donations to local and federal politicians in New York, Nevada, and other states in an attempt to get support for a new recreational marijuana business.
US law forbids politicians from taking foreign donations.
Correia’s work focused on drafting business contracts in Ukraine and memorandums of understanding to present to other potential partners, sources who dealt with the three men told CNN.
Igor Fruman leaving federal court for an arraignment hearing in October in New York City. Fruman and Parnas were arrested at an airport outside Washington trying to board a flight to Europe with one-way ticket
Rudy Giuliani speaking at a Turning Point USA student action summit at the Palm Beach County Convention Center last Thursday
The ex-golfer reportedly worked to get Giuliani to connect with the company Correia created with Parnas – Fraud Guarantee – including garnering at least $500,000 that Giuliani requested to be paid in order to be associated with the company.
He told two sources that getting Giuliani involved would be a ‘home run’ for the firm, and some associates who were petitioned by Correia for money have been subpoenaed by the Southern District of New York.
Correia also utilized Giuliani’s contacts to seek potential business and attended Giuliani’s private meetings at the BLT restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, as well as other Trump-related events.
The three men also worked with Ukrainian oligarch, Dmitry Firtash, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and received payment for connecting him to two of Giuliani’s friends.
(Left to right) Vice President Mike Pence, Igor Fruman, Lev Parnas, President Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani
Firtash’s lawyer told CNN the oligarch had not worked with the three men, but two sources indicated Correia spent more than a week with Firtash.
Messages also reportedly show Correia set up a meeting with Okba Haftar, the son of renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar, last summer to discuss another possible gas sale.
After appearing in court in Manhattan in October, Correia was released on a $250,000 bond in October.
Giuliani’s connections to Ukraine have come under scrutiny after Trump’s alleged attempts to use Ukrainian officials to investigate the Bidens became the heart of the impeachment inquiry.
A whistleblower came forward alleging that Trump tried to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation in exchange for the release of US military aid to Ukraine during a call in July.