Igor Fruman, a former associate of Rudolph W. Giuliani who helped him search for damaging information about Donald J. Trump’s political rivals, is expected to plead guilty next month in an unrelated campaign finance case, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Mr. Fruman, 55, is expected to admit to one count of soliciting foreign campaign contributions after he and others had been accused of funneling money from a Russian source to U.S. elected officials in an effort to win marijuana distribution licenses. Mr. Fruman and his former business partner Lev Parnas were Soviet-born U.S. citizens, businessmen who emerged from obscurity in October 2019 when they were arrested on federal charges at Dulles International Airport on their way to Europe. The charges brought intense scrutiny to their association with Mr. Giuliani, who had been working with them in Ukraine to find dirt on Joseph R. Biden Jr., then the former vice president, and oust the American ambassador in Kyiv. The charges were unconnected to the effort with Mr. Giuliani, and the terms of Mr. Fruman’s plea do not include cooperation with the federal prosecutors in Manhattan who are now investigating Mr. Giuliani for his dealings in Ukraine, the people with knowledge said.

Source: International New York Times August 24, 2021 21:11 UTC