纽约——鲁迪·朱利安尼的一名助手周三告诉一名联邦法官，他不会在自己的审判中作证，指控他利用一名俄罗斯金融家的钱向美国政治候选人捐款。
列夫·帕纳斯在曼哈顿宣布这一消息的前一天，检察官已经完成了对他不利的举证。他说，他是在与妻子和家人商量后这样做的。
这位佛罗里达商人和共同被告安德烈·库库什金对所有指控均表示不服罪。库库什金周三还宣布，他不会作证。不久之后，防守停止了。
法官j·保罗·奥特肯告诉陪审员们周四返回法庭，在为期两周的审判中进行终结辩论。律师和法官计划在周三敲定如何在陪审员开始评议前向他们解释法律。
检察官说，帕纳斯和库库什金合谋利用一名俄罗斯金融家投资的100万美元中的10多万美元，向他们认为可以推进其商业利益的政界人士捐款，包括在一家能源公司和法律界大麻工业。
检察官周二结束案件后，辩护律师要求法官得出结论，政府未能证明指控。法官没有立即做出裁决。
帕纳斯协助朱利安尼努力说服乌克兰官员调查总统乔·拜登拜登竞选总统时的儿子。
朱利安尼在此案中没有受到指控，但他正在纽约接受调查，他是否被要求注册为外国政府的代理人，因为他说他是以时任总统私人律师的身份采取的行动唐纳德·特朗普。
Giuliani associate decides not to testify at criminal trial
NEW YORK -- An associate of Rudy Giuliani told a federal judge Wednesday that he will not testify at his own trial on charges alleging he used a Russian financier’s money to make donations to U.S. political candidates.
Lev Parnas made the announcement in Manhattan a day after prosecutors finished presenting evidence against him. He said he did so after consulting with his wife and family.
The Florida businessman and a codefendant, Andrey Kukushkin, have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Kukushkin also announced Wednesday that he will not testify. Shortly afterward, the defense rested.
Judge J. Paul Oetken told jurors to return Thursday for closing arguments in the two-week-old trial. Lawyers and the judge planned to spend Wednesday finalizing how laws will be explained to jurors before they begin deliberations.
Prosecutors say Parnas and Kukushkin conspired to use over $100,000 of a $1 million investment from a Russian financier to contribute to politicians who they thought could advance their business interests, including in an energy company and the legalmarijuanaindustry.
After prosecutors finished their case Tuesday, defense lawyers asked the judge to conclude the government had failed to prove the charges. The judge did not immediately rule.
Parnas aided Giuliani’s efforts to try to convince Ukrainian officials to investigate PresidentJoe Biden’s son when Biden was running for president.
Giuliani is not charged in the case, but he is under investigation in New York for whether he was required to register as an agent of a foreign government for actions he said he took in his capacity as a private attorney for then-PresidentDonald Trump.
