Reported today on The New York Times For the full article visit:
Ukrainian Ambassador Was Under Surveillance, Documents Suggest "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price," read one of a series of text messages indicating that the ambassador, Marie L. Yovanovitch, was being watched. New documents released by House Democrats on Tuesday offered fresh detail on the shadow diplomacy campaign at the center of President Trump's impeachment, including text messages suggesting that the former United States ambassador to Ukraine was under surveillance while in Kyiv.In a series of cryptic text messages, Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, communicated with another man who appeared to be monitoring the movements of the ambassador, Marie L. Yovanovitch. The texts, exchanged in March on the WhatsApp messaging service, indicated that the other man, Robert F. Hyde, was in touch with people in Ukraine who were watching Ms. Yovanovitch. "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price," one message from Mr. Hyde to Mr. Parnas read. It was not clear who was watching the ambassador or why. Lawyers for Mr. Parnas and Ms. Yovanovitch did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mr. Giuliani had been critical of Ms. Yovanovitch, whom he and other Republicans have said was opposed to the president. She also butted heads with a Ukrainian prosecutor over the nature of his investigations. Ultimately, Mr. Trump recalled Ms. Yovanovitch from her post in late April.The documents were part of a number of items that Mr. Parnas recently had turned over to the House Intelligence Committee as part of its impeachment inquiry. Mr. Parnas, a Soviet-born businessman based in Florida who is facing federal criminal charges in Manhattan, did not testify during the impeachment hearings last year. His law
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