A leading pro-Trump super PAC, facing a subpoena, has turned over records related to a six-figure corporate contribution that ethics groups say appears to have violated federal law.
The contribution to America First Action came from the company Global Energy Producers, at least on paper. Wire transfer records revealed in a federal lawsuit against one of the company’s executives showed that it came from an entirely different company, but was attributed to GEP in America First’s FEC filings.
The lawsuit is seeking to recoup a federal civil judgment of more than $500,000 against Lev Parnas, a GEP executive who has ingratiated himself with top figures in Trumpworld over the past couple years, most notably Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney.
ADVERTISEMENT
The former business partner, Michael Pues, is suing Parnas for requested documents from America First to determine whether Parnas was steering huge amounts of money to political groups instead of repaying his years-old debt. Pues’ attorney told a federal court in Florida last week that the super PAC initially dragged its feet, didn’t respond to document requests in a timely manner, and filed frivolous objections with the court. The attorney asked the court to force the super PAC to produce the requested records.
Just days later, America First complied. It has now turned over additional documents related to the GEP contribution. None are yet public, but those that trickle out could shed light on the actual entity that wrote the check, another Parnas-owned firm called Aaron Investments I, LLC, and why the contribution was instead reported to the FEC as coming from a different company.
That discrepancy is the subject of a recent complaint to the Federal Election Commission, filed last month by the Campaign Legal Center. The nonprofit watchdog group said the paper trail unearthed in the Pues lawsuit provides “reason to believe that America First Action violated” federal laws banning “straw” contributions, or donations made in another person’s name.
America First has not responded to numerous requests for comment on those allegations and the underlying records in the Pues suit.
Get the data:
