Giuliani associate pleads guilty to soliciting foreign campaign contributions

Igor Fruman, an associate of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, pleaded guilty on Friday to soliciting foreign campaign contributions, CNN reported.

The plea didn’t include an agreement to cooperate with the government’s investigation.

Fruman was expected to change his plea late last month, after court records indicated that an “in-person change of plea hearing” was scheduled.

Fruman and his business partner Lev Parnas charged in October 2019 on accusations that they directed foreign money to U.S. campaigns, including a political action committee that supported former President Trump.

Roughly a year later, in September 2020, prosecutors added additional charges against the men for soliciting foreign nationals to make campaign contributions, and aiding and abetting. They also charged a fourth man, David Correia, as part of the scheme.

Fruman and Parnas originally pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Parnas is expected to go to trial in October, CNN noted.

Fruman was charged with ten crimes, but only pleaded guilty to the single charge of soliciting a contribution, CNBC reported. Fruman faces between three years and three years and ten months in prison, though the court is not bound by that.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 21.

During Friday’s hearing, Fruman apologized for his actions, according to CNBC.

“I deeply regret my actions and apologize to the court and the United States government for this conduct,” Fruman said.