Devin Nunes aide exchanged information with Lev Parnas about Ukraine campaign, documents reveal
New documents released Friday evening by House Democrats show communications between indicted Rudy Guiliani associate Lev Parnas and an aide to the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee in which they arrange interviews with Ukrainian officials and apparent meetings at the Trump hotel in Washington, DC, including with Giuliani.
The materials draw California Rep. Devin Nunes even further into the efforts undertaken by Giuliani and his associates to dig up dirt on the President’s political rivals.
The WhatsApp exchanges show that Nunes aide Derek Harvey raised questions about foreign assistance to Ukraine in late March 2019.
On March 29, 2019, Harvey asked Parnas, “Can we get materials?”
Parnas told Harvey in an April text message that he would be interviewing “the general prosecutor that got fired by Biden,” who is Viktor Shokin. Parnas also referenced Ukraine’s then-prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko. Both prosecutors also spoke to Giuliani in his effort to dig up dirt on the former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
“Let’s do our call at 12 and we can do the first prosecutor at 1 your time?” Parnas texted Harvey on April 17, 2019.
“Okay,” Harvey responded.
Two days later, Harvey texted Parnas: “Lev. I think we are best served by sending the official letter and receiving documentation before any more interviews.”
The text exchanges between Harvey and Parnas included multiple references to John Solomon, the former conservative columnist for The Hill who published columns attacking former US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
In one text, Harvey told Parnas in April 2019 that “Solomon needs to get me the material.”
There are multiple references to meetings apparently at the Trump International Hotel, including a May 7, 2019, meeting with Giuliani and Solomon.
“Can you come now,” Parnas asked.
“Yes,” Harvey responded.
A spokesman for Nunes did not respond to a request for comment.
Last month, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee included in their impeachment inquiry report phone records of calls exchanged between Nunes and Parnas and other allies of President Donald Trump.
Nunes admitted Wednesday to speaking on the phone with Parnas after previously saying such a conversation would have been “very unlikely.”
Democrats have released three sets of Parnas documents this week after his attorney provided materials to the committee last weekend, and Parnas did television interviews with CNN and MSNBC in which he implicated Trump and said the efforts were “all about 2020.”
