How Former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch Became a Target in Ukraine
Federal prosecutors say two businessmen had a motive for making illegal contributions to U.S. political campaigns. The two men sought to remove an American diplomat in Ukraine, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday.
The two men, Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas, were associates of President Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. They also have business interests in Ukraine.
The indictment alleges that Fruman and Parnas made hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign donations, disguising the sources of the money and bringing some of it from overseas. They were about to leave the United States with one-way tickets on Wednesday when FBI agents arrested them at Dulles International Airport.
What was it about the little-known career diplomat that made the men willing to go to such lengths to have her dismissed?
The ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, was the target of extensive criticism in conservative media this past spring — criticism that President Trump himself took on board. Yovanovitch was recalled in May before the end of her expected term. And Trump spokeon July 25 — the call that spurred that led the House to open an impeachment inquiry. "The woman, was bad news," Trump said, adding that she dealt with Ukranians who were also "bad news."
