Rudy Giuliani cronies get new trial date after 2020 election due to coronavirus

From left, Vice President Mike Pence, Igor Fruman, Lev Parnas, President Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani are pictured in an undated photo.

Voters will not hear testimony about Rudy Giuliani cronies involved in President Trump’s pressure campaign of Ukraine until after the November election.

The coronavirus pandemic prompted a judge Wednesday to delay the trial of Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman and two associates to Feb. 1, 2021.

The previous trial date was Oct. 5.

Federal prosecutors sought the delay due to “disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic."

“The government has informed the defendants that its timeline for seeking a superseding indictment has been pushed back due to issues involving the availability of witnesses and grand jurors given the pandemic-related travel and social-distancing restrictions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Zolkind wrote.

The feds have reportedly been investigating Giuliani in connection with the case. If Giuliani were charged, it would possibly be through a superseding indictment.

Parnas has let it be known in frequent media appearances that he has information that would be politically damaging to Trump.

The Ukraine-born Parnas and Belarus-born Fruman are charged with using a shell company to make an illegal $325,000 donation to a pro-Trump re-election committee. The scheme overlaps with with allegations at the center of the impeachment of Trump for withholding military aid to Ukraine until it launched investigations into Trump’s political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. The Senate acquitted Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in February.

Two other men with ties to Giuliani, David Correia and Andrey Kukushkin, are accused of a separate scheme to funnel illegal donations from a Russian businessman to U.S. politicians who could help them get approval for a planned marijuana business.

All four men have pleaded not guilty. Giuliani has denied wrongdoing.