A change-of-plea hearing is set for one of the men charged with conspiring with associates of Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, in a campaign donations scheme.
David Correia, 45, is a co-defendant in the case and was arrested a year ago by federal authorities after flying to New York to turn himself in. A Wednesday filing in Manhattan federal court indicated that Correia intends to change his plea during a virtual hearing on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Correia, Ukrainian-born Andrey Kukushkin, and Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were charged in 2019 for an alleged plot to use straw donors to send illegal contributions to political figures in order to advance their own business and political interests.
According to Bloomberg, Correia previously pleaded not guilty to making false statements to election officials, falsifying records, conspiracy to launder foreign donations into U.S. campaigns, and conspiracy to defraud investors in a business venture.
Should Correia enter a guilty plea to any of the charges he is facing, it would be the first conviction among the four men charged last year in the alleged scheme.
