Lev Parnas told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne MaddowMichael Cohen: Trump hates Obama because he's everything he 'wants to be' The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump floats 0M+ in personal spending for reelection bid Feehery: Unconventionally debunking the latest political conventional wisdom MORE that former Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rick PerryOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Democrats push resolution to battle climate change, sluggish economy and racial injustice | Senators reach compromise on greenhouse gas amendment stalling energy bill | Trump courts Florida voters with offshore drilling moratorium OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump signs major conservation bill into law | Senate votes to confirm Energy's No. 2 official | Trump Jr. expresses opposition to Pebble Mine project Senate votes to confirm Energy's No. 2 official MORE was brought in by President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani Rudy GiulianiGrand jury adds additional counts against Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and and Igor Fruman Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates Giuliani criticizes NYC leadership: 'They're killing this city' MORE to lean on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to publicly announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Biden says Ginsburg successor should be picked by candidate who wins on Nov. 3 MORE and his son Hunter Biden.

According to Parnas, Perry called Giuliani as he was on his way to attend Zelensky's inauguration in May and asked the former New York mayor what he should discuss with Zelensky.

Then after the inauguration, Parnas asserted, Perry called Giuliani again and told him that he got Zelensky to agree to announce the investigation.

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While Zelensky did make an announcement about looking into corruption, the Ukrainian leader never mentioned Biden.

Parnas told Maddow that Giuliani "blew his lid" when this happened.

"It wasn't supposed to be a corruption announcement, it [had] to be about Joe Biden and Hunter Biden and Burisma," Parnas continued.

Parnas's interview with Maddow aired over Wednesday and Thursday night.

Parnas was a close associate of Giuliani and was part of Giuliani's "shadow diplomacy" in Ukraine that included getting Trump to recall then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch Marie YovanovitchGrand jury adds additional counts against Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and and Igor Fruman Strzok: Trump behaving like an authoritarian Powell backs Biden at convention as Democrats rip Trump on security MORE.

Late last year, Parnas and another associate of Giuliani, Igor Fruman, were arrested on campaign finance charges.