President Trump dismissed his connections to indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, calling him “a groupie that shows up at fundraisers.”
During a press conference in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Trump, 73, was asked if he knew any information surrounding Parnas and his involvement in a pressure campaign to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
“Lev Parnas has come forward and said that you knew everything he was doing,” began a reporter.
“He’s a con man,” the president interrupted. “I don’t know him other than he’s sort of like a groupie, he shows up at fundraisers. I don’t know anything about him.”
Trump then pivoted to praise Giuliani, 75, his personal attorney, saying, “Rudy is a terrific person, great crime fighter. The best mayor in the history of New York City by far. Solved the crime problem in New York. And I think it’s very unfair the way the media has treated Rudy Giuliani.”
Parnas, 47, attempted to dig up dirt on Biden from Ukrainian officials. He claims Ukrainian officials would not have communicated with him if they were not instructed to do so and accused Trump of knowing “exactly what was going on.”
Old photographs have also shown Parnas with Trump. However, the president has repeatedly denied having a relationship with Parnas.
