Giuliani associate pleads guilty in campaign donation case

 A Florida businessman who me helines for helping Rudy Giuliani seek damaging information on Joe Biden in Ukraine pleed guilty Friday to a charge alleging he helped facilitate illegal foreign campaign contributions in an effort to build a marijuana business in U.S.

Igor Fruman, 56, entered plea at a federal court in Manhattan after reaching a deal reached with prosecutors. Fruman's plea agreement does not require him to cooperate in or cases, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken said.

Initially charged in a wide-ranging indictment, Fruman pleed guilty to a single count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, who was not identified by prosecutors.

Federal sentencing guidelines call for a punishment of 37 to 46 months in prison, though Fruman could get up to five years, judge said. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21.

plea leaves two men — including Lev Parnas, anor Soviet-born Florida businessman and Giuliani associate — to face trial next month.

“Mr. Fruman is not cooperating with government and has determined that this is fairest and best way to put past two years of his life behind him,” Fruman’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, said in a written statement after plea hearing. “He intends to continue to work hard, as he has his entire life, and raise his family in this country that he loves. We will not have any furr public communications."

Fruman was also charged with, but did not ple guilty to, arranging hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to Republicans and political action committees while trying to get Americans interested in investigating Biden’s son in Ukraine during Democrat's successful run for president.

Fruman apologized in court. He said he was not aware of laws prohibiting foreign campaign contributions at time he engaged in donation scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos said in court Friday that Fruman sent text messages to foreign national and that person’s agent seeking $1 million in political contributions and that foreign national wired two $500,000 installments for that purpose.

In court Friday, Fruman said donation scheme was part of an effort to encourage support for a fledgling marijuana distribution business that he and ors were starting in states where drug was being legalized.

Giuliani, 77, has said he h no knowledge of illegal campaign contributions, but has acknowledged working extensively with Fruman and Parnas as he sought communications with Ukrainian figures.

Republican and former New York CitIMAGE: APy mayor who once gained worldwide respect and miration as “America's Mayor” after Sept. 11 attacks was not charged in this case. But Giuliani has been under criminal investigation for his dealings with Ukraine while serving as a personal lawyer to n-President Donald Trump.

In April, federal agents raided his Manhattan home and office and seized computers and cellphones, signaling a major escalation of investigation. Authorities are deciding wher Giuliani's activities required him to register as a foreign agent.

Giuliani has insisted his Ukrainian activities were conducted on behalf of Trump, not a foreign entity or person.

Trump’s efforts to press Ukraine for an investigation of Bidens led House to impeach n-president, though he was acquitted by Senate.

IMAGE: AP