A pair of Florida businessmen who worked with Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani to promote politically-charged investigations in Ukraine were arrested on federal campaign finance charges as they tried to flee the country, it was revealed Thursday.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who were each born in former Soviet republics, assisted Giuliani's effort to get Ukraine to investigate his theory about the 2016 elections, and also help Giuliani's effort to dig up dirt on a company tied to the Bidens in Ukraine.

They were arrested at Dulles Airport just before getting on a plane to Vienna, Austria - and a few hours after they were seen lunching with Giuliani at the Trump Hotel in Washington D.C.

At a federal court hearing in Alexandria, VA, Thursday afternoon federal prosecutors said the pair were a flight risk.

U.S. Judge Michael Nachmanoff ordered Parnas and Fruman to post $1 million each in bail, surrender their passports and be subject to home detention, among other conditions, before they can be released from jail.

The two men cultivated ties with a series of top Republican officials. They had dinner with President Trump at the White House and dined with Donald Trump Jr. in 2018.

Parnas, who ran a company called Fraud Guarantee, bragged about dining with the president at the White House that year.

At the White House Trump denied knowing either man, including his White House dining companion Parnas.

Giuliani has said both are clients of his. Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for the president, told Reuters that 'neither the president nor the campaign was aware' of the defendants' alleged scheme.

While they were sitting in Alexandria Sheriff's Office cells, the Soviet-born duo were also hit with subpoenas by the House Intelligence Committee.

Flight risk: U.S. Judge Michael Nachmanoff ordered Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman to post $1 million each in bail, surrender their passports and be subject to home detention, among other conditions, before they can be released from jail

In an indictment unsealed Thursday in the Southern District of New York, the men are accused of funneling $325,000 from a mystery Russian businessman into America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC in violation of U.S. campaign laws banning foreign donations and efforts to conceal campaign funds.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested and charged with campaign finance crimes in an indictment unsealed Thursday

Mike Pence, Igor fruman, Lev Parnas, President Trump, and Rudy Giuliani are pictured in an image captured by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Dining at the White House: Lev Parnas bragged that he was a guest of Donald Trump in spring 2018 -

THE CHARGES AGAINST RUDY'S CLIENTS AND UKRAINE FIXERS - Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say that beginning in 2018, Parnas and Fruman made illegal donations to political candidates. The donations included a $325,000 contribution to America First Action, a political action committee that supports pro-Trump political candidates, according to an indictment. - Parnas and Fruman conspired to circumvent federal law by funneling money to political candidates to advance their own financial interests and the political interests of Ukrainian officials, the indictment says. - In disclosure forms submitted to the U.S. Federal Election Commission, Parnas and Fruman listed the $325,000 contribution to the pro-Trump group as coming from a business called Global Energy Producers (GEP). Prosecutors say GEP was a shell company with 'no real business.' - Parnas and Fruman deliberately made the contributions in GEP's name to 'hide from creditors that they had access to funding, and to conceal from the public and the FEC their involvement in making these contributions,' according to the indictment. - Prosecutors said Parnas and Fruman sought the help of a then-sitting congressman to get the U.S. government to remove the then-ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. The indictment says the efforts were conducted in part at the request of at least one or more Ukrainian government officials. - Parnas and Fruman also conspired to funnel donations to state and federal candidates to benefit a planned marijuana business funded by an unnamed Russian businessman. A co-conspirator said they should hide the foreign national's role in the business because of 'his Russian roots and current political paranoia about it,' according to the indictment. - Parnas and Fruman were arrested on Wednesday at an airport outside Washington carrying one-way tickets to Vienna. - A federal magistrate judge in Virginia said Fruman and Parnas could be released and kept in home detention once they each pay a $1 million bond. - Parnas and Fruman are accused of criminal violations of laws that promote transparency in U.S. elections, as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States. Advertisement

In addition to helping Trump, the same super PAC spent millions to boost former Texas GOP Rep Pete Sessions, who wrote a letter calling for the firing of former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich, who Trump trashed on his infamous July call with the Ukrainian president and who House Democrats want to interview Friday as part of their impeachment probe.

The House Intelligence committee wants both men to testify about their work with Giuliani in Ukraine as part of its impeachment probe into Trump's interactions with Ukraine.

Their lawyer John Dowd - Trump's former attorney - has said they won't provide the information. Amid the standoff, three House committees issued subpoenas for interviews and information.

Dowd hung up on an Associated Press reporter seeking comment. He had previously replied to the Democrat-controlled committee rejecting the subpoenas and writing in comic sans font. He had also accused the Democrats of harassing his clients.

The men were arrested late Wednesday at Dulles airport in Virginia as they were about to fly abroad with one-way tickets to Vienna, according to prosecutors.

The pair donated $325,000 to a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, through an LLC, prosecutors say.

Although the indictment mentions only an alleged scheme to violate campaign finance laws, the two men are also connected to a the sprawling Ukraine matter that has President Trump now facing a ramped-up House Democratic impeachment effort.

The Associated Press reported that the two men sought to use their connections to Giuliani to get the Ukrainian state gas company, Naftogaz, to replace members of their board of directors.

The indictment doesn't mention Giuliani, whose association with Parnas and Fruman was part of his effort to amass potential dirt on Trump political rival Joe Biden.

The pair dined with Donald Trump Jr. in May 2018, along with Tommy Hicks Jr., according to a Facebook post that captured the event. Hicks was leading the pro-Trump super PAC at the time and now has a position as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

They also had dinner with President Trump, and images Parnas posted on Twitter in May thanks the president for an 'incredible dinner and even better conversation' at the White House.

He also wrote: '!!!! Making America Great!!!!!!!' and tagged '#TRUMP2020.'

An image posted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project shows them pictured with Vice President Mike Pence, Trump, and Giuliani.

They also donated to Florida Sen. Rick Scott and hosted fundraisers for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis headlined by Donald Trump Jr., the Miami Herald reported.

The men are being represented John Dowd, who served as Donald Trump's lawyer during part of the Mueller probe.

Their company, Global Energy Producers LLC, has been accused of violating campaign finance laws for its six-figure donations to the super PAC.

U.S. President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has coffee with Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, U.S. September 20, 2019. Giuliani said both Parnas and Fruman were his clients. They assisted his Ukraine investigation

This Facebook screen shot provided by The Campaign Legal Center, shows from left, Donald Trump, Jr., Tommy Hicks, Jr., Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, posted on May 21, 2018

Indicted U.S. businessman David Correia appears to pose with President Donald Trump in an undated screen capture from Correia's social media account

Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas and U.S. businessman David Correia appear with former U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), in an image referenced in the indictment. Pictured above is former Texas Rep. Carlos Curbelo and below is Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas. A pro-Trump super PAC that got funds steered by the pair spent $3 million to help Sessions - who then urged the State Department to fire Marie Yovanovitch., the ambassador to Ukraine

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman announced that the FBI arrested Parnas and Fruman at Dulles International airport in Virginia

Deja vu: The two Soviet-born Americans have hired Kevin Downing as an attorney. He previously represented Paul Manafort who is now serving seven and a half years in prison and facing another trial in New York under state law

U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions to U.S. political campaigns, as well as efforts to shield the origins of campaign donations.

Those laws are in part to protect U.S. elections from 'illegal foreign financial influence,' according to the indictment unsealed Thursday.

Said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman at a press conference in New York: 'Protecting the integrity of our elections and protecting our elections from unlawful fore influence are core functions of our Campaign finance laws. And as this office has made clear, we will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who engage in criminal conduct that draws into question the integrity of our political process.'

Berman added: 'And I want to add that this investigation is continuing.'

Primer on Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman arrested on campaign finance charges - The two Florida businessmen were arrested at Dulles airport Wednesday evening after buying one-way tickets - They are charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and breaking campaign finance laws - Parnas hails from Ukraine; Fruman is from Belarus - They have retained Donald Trump lawyer John Dowd and were represented in federal court Thursday by Paul Manafort lawyer Kevin Downing - Both assisted Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani in his effort to dig up dirt on the Bidens and pursue his theory of Ukrainian-Democratic – rather than Russian – 'collusion' - Their lawyer John Dowd says they did work for Giuliani but Giuliani also provided legal representation to them - They donated $325,000 to pro-Trump super PAC called America First Action through Global Energy Producers LLC, a natural gas company - Also gave $15,000 to another independent expenditure committee - The money actually came from a 'private lending transaction,' according to prosecutors - They also gave contributions as part of an effort to court politicians to get a multi-state license for a marijuana business - Prosecutors allege $1 million was actually from a Russian businessman - The pro-Trump PAC spent $3 million to help embattled Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas in his unsuccessful reelection effort in 2018 - After Parnas and indicted co-conspirator David Correia met with Sessions at the Capitol in 2018, Parnas wrote a letter to Sec. State Mike Pompeo pushing the removal of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine - The request was 'at the request of one or more Ukrainian government officials' - The House Intelligence Committee had asked them to testify and provide documents after their names surfaced in the Ukraine affair - The panel subpoenaed them Thursday after their arrest - Parnas posted photos of the pair with President Trump including of a White House dinner in May 2018 - They also dined with Donald Trump Jr. - Parnas committed to donate $125,000 to a third committee to attend an event in New York - They attended a campaign rally that matches up with a President Trump campaign rally in Elko, Nevada in 2018 - President Trump said of Parnas: 'I don't know this gentleman' - The two men racked up expenses while assisting Giuliani and introducing him to Ukrainian sources. Reportedly spent $20,000 at Trump hotels in Washington, spent $665 at Kyiv strip club called Tootsie - Parnas and indicted co-conspirator David Correia are business partners in firm called Fraud Guarantee Parnas and Correia were sued by investors in failed film project 'Anatomy of an Assassin' - Also indicted was Ukraine-born businessman Andrey Kukushkin, who was was a vice president of a Russian hedge fund and got into the marijuana business - U.S. businessman David Correia also was indicted - Parnas and Fruman had lunch with Giuliani Wednesday at Trump's DC hotel, the Wall Street Journal reported Advertisement

The men 'conspired to circumvent the federal laws against foreign influence by engaging in a scheme to funnel foreign money to candidates for federal and State office so that the defendants could buy potential influence with candidates, campaigns, and the candidates' governments,' according to the indictment.

The indictment says they concealed the effort from the campaigns themselves, and laundered the contributions through LLCs and through the use of 'straw contributors.'

Parnas was born in Ukraine and Fruman was born in Belarus.

Although the indictment doesn't mention Trump or the pro-Trump super PAC by name, it says: 'Specifically, in or about May 2018, to obtain access to exclusive political events and gain influence with politicians, LEV PARNAS and IGOR FRUMAN, the defendants, made a $325,000 contribution. to an independent expenditure committee (Committee-1) and a $15,000 contribution to a second independent expenditure committee Despite the fact that the FEC forms for these contributions required PARNAS and FRUMAN to disclose the true donor of the funds, they falsely reported that the contributions came from GEP, a purported liquefied natural gas import export business that was incorporated by FRUMAN and PARNAS around the time the contributions were made.'

But in truth and fact, the funds came 'from a private lending transaction between FRUMAN and third parties, and never passed through a GEP account,' it says. They took the actions 'deliberately' in order to evade reporting requirements, according to the indictment.

Also indicted are David Correia, who is described as a businessman born in the U.S., and Andrey Kukushkin, a businessman and U.S. citizen who was born in Ukraine.

Kukushkin was arrested in San Francisco, and Correia is not yet in custody, prosecutors said.

Giuliani said he couldn't comment at this point when contacted by a Buzzfeed reporter.

Parnas told BuzzFeed he met with President Trump 'many times.' He was working in 2018 to help introduce Giuliani to Ukrainians as he explored his unproven theory that Ukraine carried out election interference by pushing out information on now-jailed Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. Among his efforts was putting together a Skype call between Giuliani and Viktor Shokin, the former Ukrainian prosecutor whose firing Vice President Joe Biden demanded in 2016, according to the publication.

On May 9, 2018, days after his White House visit, Parnas also posted images of himself meeting Rep. Sessions, the former chair of the House Rules Committee, who was in a tough reelection fight, along with David Correia, who was also charged in the indictment.

Just two days later, Sessions wrote Secretary of Mike Pompeo, telling the nation's top diplomat: 'I have received notice from close companions that Ambassador Yovanovitch has spoken privately and repeatedly about her disdain for the current administration,' the Daily Beast reported. Days later, Global Energy Producers made its donation to the America First PAC.

According to the indictment, Parnas and Frumon agreed in May and June 2018 to raise $20,000 or more for a 'then-sitting congressman' identified only as 'Congressman-1' who had been the beneficiary of $3 million in independent expenditures by the PAC.

They also sought the lawmaker's assistance to 'remove and recall' the then-U.S. ambassador.

The indictment says Fruman made an individual $2,700 maximum campaign contribution, then did another in Parnas' name. It also identifies a not-stealthy effort to 'conceal' contributions by putting his name as 'Furman' rather than the correct spelling.

The overall scheme was designed to allow the conspirators to 'gain influence with candidates,' the government charged.

They made contributions in their own name instead of in the name of 'Foreign National-1.'

The took steps to hide the person's involvement due to what Kukushkin called the person's 'Russian roots and current political paranoia about it.'

They also planned to use his funds to make contributions to state and federal officials in an effort to obtain a license for their recreational marijuana business. To fund their efforts to 'gain influence' and the 'appearance of influence' with politicians, the unnamed foreign national arranged for two separate $500,000 wire transfers to an account controlled by Fruman.

They attended a campaign rally with 'Candidate-1' in Nevada on October 20, 2018, the same day Trump held a rally in Elko, Nevada.

That was a rally where Trump campaigned for Rep. Mark Amodei.

Homestate Republican Senator Dean Heller said at the event in Nevada's gold country: 'Mr. President, you know a little bit about gold. In fact, I think that everything you touch turns to gold.'

Off stage, Trump told traveling reporters the U.S. would be pulling out of the 1987 intermediate-range nuclear missile treaty with the former Soviet Union.

On Nov. 1, a $10,000 contribution went to the candidate in Fruman's name, but it was actually funded by the foreign national, according to the indictment.

Three House committees on Thursday subpoenaed Parnas and Fruman, who had not complied with an earlier request for documents.

'Your clients are private citizens who are not employees of the Executive Branch. They may not evade requests from Congress for documents and information necessary to conduct our inquiry,' the chairmen wrote their attorney, John Dowd.

'They are required by law to comply with the enclosed subpoenas. They are not exempted from this requirement merely because they happen to work with Mr. Giuliani, and they may not defy congressional subpoenas merely because President Trump has chosen the path of denial, defiance, and obstruction.'

Dowd had responded to the initial request by saying the two men by saying they 'assisted' Giuliani in his representation of President Trump. But he also wrote that Parnas and Fruman 'have also been represented' by Giuliani, making the case that attorney-client privilege could come into play.

Parnas told Reuters last month while he was under investigation that he didn't do anything wrong. 'I don't know what the FBI wants. I'm not going to comment, what they are doing. What they did,' he said.