Lev Parnas: Devin Nunes was 'involved in getting all this stuff on Biden'
Lev Parnas said he was "in shock" when he saw Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) participating in President Trump's impeachment hearings late last year, because he knew Nunes was linked to the very scandal that launched the inquiry.
Parnas, an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani, has been charged with campaign finance violations. He told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Wednesday he did not have "much of a relationship" with Nunes, but they did meet "several times" at a Trump hotel. Nunes had "something to do with the Ethics Committee, so he couldn't be in the spotlight," so he introduced Parnas to his aide, Derek Harvey. Nunes, Parnas explained, "was looking into this Ukraine stuff also, wanted to help out. And they gave me Derek Harvey to deal with."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Nunes is the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, which led the impeachment investigation. Parnas said he was "in shock when I was watching the hearings and I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there. There was a picture of Derek Harvey back there, sitting. I texted my attorney because I couldn't believe this was happening." They were "involved in getting all of this stuff on Biden," Parnas said, adding that he set up Skype interviews between Harvey and Ukrainian prosecutors who claimed to have damaging information about Biden. It was "hard to see them lie like that," Parnas said. "It's scary. [Nunes] knew very well that he knew what was going on, what was happening. He knows who I am."
Nunes previously said he couldn't "recall" having a phone conversation with Parnas, but during an interview with Fox News conducted at the same time the Parnas interview was airing on MSNBC, Nunes said he "remembered that call, which was very odd and random."
-
The EU’s war on fast fashionIn the Spotlight Bloc launches investigation into Shein over sale of weapons and ‘childlike’ sex dolls, alongside efforts to tax e-commerce giants and combat textile waste
-
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast: a ‘highly entertaining ride’The Week Recommends Mystery-comedy from the creator of Derry Girls should be ‘your new binge-watch’
-
The 8 best TV shows of the 1960sThe standout shows of this decade take viewers from outer space to the Wild West
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
