Thanks to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a suspected crook who was indicted last year by federal authorities for allegedly funneling foreign donations to U.S. political candidates almost got to attend President Donald Trump’s trial this week.

Earlier this month the attorney for indicted suspect and accused liar Lev Parnas, Joseph Bondy, reached out to the minority leader to request requests for him, his client and a co-counsel to attend the president’s trial. In response, Schumer said OK.

“I have received your request for tickets to the trial for yourself, Ms. Schuman and Mr.Parnas. We are able to accommodate your request for Wednesday, January 29th

from 12:30 to 2:45 PM,” his director of operations wrote in a letter to Bondy.

Scroll to the second page below to read the letter:

But included in the letter were the strict rules that anybody within the Senate’s public galleries must abide by, and one of those rules pertained to electronic devices.

“The following are not allowed in the Galleries: packages, bundles, suitcases, briefcases, cameras, electronics (includes, but not limited to, cell phones and cell phone accessories, remote car keys, smartwatches, fitbits, extra batteries, Bluetooth-connected devices), aerosol/non-aerosol sprays, pointed objects, food or beverages,” the rules read.

The problem is that that following Parnas’ indictment and arrest last October, he was placed on house arrest as part of his bail condition. And part of being on house arrest entails wearing an electronic monitor on one’s ankle. See the issue?

According to reports, while U.S. District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken has approved a request for Parnas to visit the Senate for the trial, he refuses to allow the indicted suspect to temporarily remove his ankle bracelet so that he may enter the Senate galleries.

“Joseph Bondy, a lawyer for Lev Parnas, wrote to a New York judge Tuesday to ask if his bail conditions might be relaxed enough to let him attend the proceeding from 12:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m,” Time magazine has confirmed.

“U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken permitted Parnas to go to Washington, but he said the defendant can’t remove his electronic-tracking device. And he can’t enter the Senate gallery with it on.”

And so despite being granted a trial ticket by Schumer, the indicted suspect will have to stand outside as the president’s trial commences Wednesday. Shucks …

Although we couldn’t arrange to have Lev Parnas watch the trial with us because his GPS ankle monitor is not allowed, Lev will join us in DC tomorrow to show support for a fair trial, with witnesses & evidence. #AmericansWantWitnesses #LetLevSpeak #LevRemembers #CallTheWitnesses pic.twitter.com/4VpezvQw4K — Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) January 29, 2020

Parnas is one of two suspects who were arrested last October after being indicted for conspiracy, lying to the Federal Election Commission and falsifying records.

“As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants broke the law to gain political influence while avoiding disclosure of who was actually making the donations and where the money was coming from,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said at the time of their arrest.

“Campaign finance laws exist for a reason. The American people expect and deserve an election process that hasn’t been corrupted by the influence of foreign interests, and the public has the right to know the true source of campaign contributions,” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. added.

“These allegations aren’t about some technicality, a civil violation, or an error on a form. This investigation is about corrupt behavior and deliberate law breaking. The FBI takes the obligation to tackle corruption seriously – there are no exceptions to this rule.”

Following his indictment, Parnas quickly attracted the attention and veritable blessing of congressional Democrats by spouting dubious allegations about the president and his congressional supporters, including House Intelligence Committee chair Devin Nunes.

“This Parnas guy is facing indictment. He’s been dripping [information] out to the House Intel Committee batches of information, crescendoing to the week we start the trial. I smell a rat here. The guy is crooked as a snake,” Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham remarked of Parnas earlier this month.

Listen:

Lindsey Graham responds to the Parnas news: I smell a rat here pic.twitter.com/rz7j9qnSEv — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) January 17, 2020

However, some of Parnas’ allegations have been proven valid. He’d claimed that when he worked as an associate of the president’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, he spoke directly with the president about the situation in Ukraine.

Despite Trump denying knowing the guy, let alone speaking with him, audio footage emerged last week of him telling Parnas to get rid of then-former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

The footage’s emergence has caused Democrats to redouble their allegations that Trump is a corrupt president who deserves to be convicted and removed from office. Though just to be clear, as president, Trump is and has always been entitled to remove Yovanovitch or anybody else from their posts.

“I am not a fan of that ambassador. She wouldn’t put my picture up. She was an Obama appointee. I make no bones about it. I have every right — I want ambassadors that are chosen by me. I have a right to hire and fire ambassadors,” he bluntly explained to Fox News last week.

Listen:

(Source: Fox News