Former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas was convicted Friday of illegally funneling money to U.S. political campaigns to gain influence and bolster a marijuana business.
The Soviet-born Parnas and his co-conspirator, Andrey Kukushkin, tried to "manipulate the United States political system for their own financial gain," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. Kukushkin also was convicted. The men directed money to American politicians during the 2018 midterms aiming to increase the marijuana business' profits, Williams said.
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