FROM RUSSIA WITH LEV

Rachel Maddow can now be called executive producer, for she last night showed her first documentary film, From Russia with Lev.  The follow-on program provided further details.  If you missed it, quickly record a replay, today, Saturday, 2PM, MSNBC.  This film should not be confused with a 2016 religious book with the same title.

Think back to those days when Donald Trump was president, and he tried to extort new president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leading to Trump's impeachment.  He was trying to taint Joe Biden through his son Hunter to eliminate Joe from running against him in 2020.

If you read through the entirety of a lengthy Wikipedia treatment of this Trump-Ukraine scandal, light mention is made of Lev Parnas (left of Trump) and Igor Fruman (extreme left) as associates of Rudy Giuliani.  Well, the documentary is all about the role of Parnas.  How the story went is in part shocking, yet revealing, about the doings of the Trump White House, and, more so, the fear of what a second Trump term will do without any guardrails.

So who is Lev Parnas?

• Born in Odesa, Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union, in 1972, so he is now 52 years old.
• His Jewish family moved when he was 3 to Detroit, then later to Brooklyn.
• Went to Brooklyn College and Baruch College, and worked at a realty firm which sold Trump Organization co-ops.
• In 1995 at age 23, moved to Florida and became a broker for bullion firms.
• Had some failures, and in the period, partnered with Igor Fruman in an energy related venture.  Had a trail of debts in Florida and beyond.
• Fruman was born in 1966 in Belarus, went to Ukraine as an adult, then to Detroit, and later to Florida.  Had an import/export business with Ukraine, plus a beach bar in Odesa.  Was linked to Rudy Giuliani, for Fruman attended the funeral of George HW. Bush as a guest of Giuliani.  The documentary did not say much about Fruman.
• Parnas in 2013 founded a firm named Fraud Guarantee.
• Was assigned by the Trump administration in 2016 to ask Ukrainian officials to manipulate the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, and help Paul Manafort (then chairman of Trump's campaign).
• In 2018 Parnas and Fruman visited Israel with Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Anthony Scaramucci.
• Also in 2018, assisted Giuliani in gaining corruption info of Hunter Biden and Busisma.
• In 2019 Parnas and Fruman assisted in Trump's re-election efforts and was asked to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Trump.  Found American ambassador Marie Yovanovitch an obstacle in their efforts to blackmail Ukraine.  This led to Trump efforts to fire her.
• 2019 found Parnas as a translator for a legal case involving Dmytro Firtash, one of Ukraine's wealthiest oligarchs, and with Russian mob connections.
• In 2019 now closely linked to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,
• Parnas was also involved with Jewish charities and causes in the U.S. Ukraine and Israel.
• Parnas became an insider in the Trump administrator, and almost part of the family.
• Yet, Trump said he did not even know Parnas...while Parnas says Trump knew exactly what was going on.  Why Trump lies on this is just symptomatic of his character.  Parnas had recordings of their discussions.
• In 2019, Parnas and Fruman were arrested for the Ukraine matter.  Parnas stated to CNN that he was willing to testify against his Republican contacts, in particular, the roles of Giuliani and Trump in Ukraine.
• In early January of 2020, Parnas turned over evidence against the White House to the House Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.  Read about his turning away from Trump.  Basically the same treatment and response like Michael Cohen.  Abandoned by Trump, resulting in revenge.  Both Cohen and Parnas had recorded evidence.
• On January 15 and 16 of 2020 was interviewed by Rachel Maddow of MSNBC on the Trump-Ukraine scandal.  Totally embarrassed the Trump White House, and Trump himself.  He had all kinds of electronic evidence.  Specifically indicated to Maddow that his decision to speak out was made to protect the country from President Trump and his allies.  Giuliani, godfather to one of Parnas' children, said he was disappointed about Parnas' lies.  Also said that Michael Cohen was lying.  Through all this, Republican funds went into Parnas' Fraud Guarantee company.  In fact all expenses for the efforts of Parnas, Fruman and Giuliani were coming from Republican donors, including a $1 million loan to Parnas' wife.
• Was convicted in 2022 to 20 months in prison.
• About Parnas' wife Svetlana.

Parnas has also said that wife Svetlana has been “embarrassed” over his former devotion to President Trump. He told CNN that he used to “love” Trump. “When the FBI came to my house to raid, my wife felt embarrassed because they said I had a shrine to him. I had pictures all over. I idolized him. I thought he was the savior.” He added during that interview, “I thought they were going to shut me up and make me look like the scapegoat and try to blame me for stuff I haven’t done.”

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  Svetlana was indicated in the documentary as his third wife.  She was an important part of the documentary, and more as a third party participant, now and then spoke with dry humor and incisive info.
• She was also born in Ukraine in 1988 (now 36 years old) and they have been married since 2012.  
• They have five children.

Well, I can go on and on, but you should watch the film.  2PM EDT today, Saturday, on MSNBC.

Yesterday I provided some background suggesting that Shohei Ohtani could soon prove himself to be the Greatest Of All Time athlete.  Here is a classy move by home plate umpire Dan Iassonga, allowing the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ohtani to celebrate his attainment of the 50 home run and 50 stolen bases club, of which he is the only member.

To close, we are less than three weeks away from our next global odyssey. My regular camera broke down on our past trip, but I decided to instead purchase an Apple 16 Pro iPhone to be used as my future travel camera.  Well, it arrived yesterday.

• Premium Grade 5 Titanium.
• Largest iPhone display ever
• Thinnest borders of any Apple product.
• Two times tougher than any smartphone glass.
• Two-stage shutter that lets you automatically lock focus and exposure with a light press.
• 4K 120 fps Dolby Vision.
• 48MP Ultra Wide camera and HEIF photos.
• Macro, 13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 48mm, 120mm and 5x telephoto.
• Game Mode in iOS 18.
• 4 more hours of battery life.
• Same connection link with my iMac computer.

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