Convicted felon, Trump impeachment figure Lev Parnas to run as Democrat for Florida US House seat

Lev Parnas has entered the Democratic primary race in Florida GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s district.Parnas, who was born in the former Soviet Union to Jewish refugee parents, said in a campaign announcement on Thursday that he was running for Congress “with a focus on cleaning up Washington’s corruption, holding the powerful to account, strengthening affordability, expanding support for seniors, and improving our desperately broken immigration system,” WLRN reported.
“Families across Florida’s 27th District are being squeezed from every direction — groceries, rent, healthcare, and the cost of simply trying to build a life in Miami,” Parnas said.
“For years, this community has lived with the consequences of national immigration and economic policies that have created uncertainty for families and instability for local businesses. We need leadership that understands what these policies have meant on the ground and is willing to fight for real solutions.”
Parnas is a former associate of Rudy Giuliani and cooperated with President Trump’s first impeachment investigation.
He was sentenced in a New York federal court in June 2022 to a year and eight months in prison for fraud and campaign finance crimes by a judge who said that fraud had become “a way of life” for Parnas. The judge also ordered Parnas to pay $2.3 million in restitution.
The criminal case against him focused on donations Parnas had illegally made to multiple U.S. politicians using the riches of a wealthy Russian to jump-start a legal recreational marijuana business.
Parnas pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy, admitting that he and a partner had given false information to investors about a Florida-based business, Fraud Guarantee, which promised to protect people against fraud. That company hired Giuliani as some Ukrainian figures were attempting to curry favor with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay him $500,000.
Parnas sobbed at his sentencing and apologized to those who had lost money investing in his business ventures.
“A lot that you heard is true, your honor. I have not been a good person my whole life. I’ve made mistakes. And I admit it,” Parnas said. “I want to apologize to all the victims that I hurt. These are all people who are my friends, all people who trusted me, and I lied to them to further my personal agenda.”
The Parnas congressional campaign said Thursday regarding his criminal past that it “included both professional successes and highly public challenges, including his appearance in a widely viewed documentary and a period of federal custody connected to past legal issues.”
The campaign added that the federal criminal case marked a “turning point” in Parnas’ life “that strengthened his commitment to accountability, transparency, and service.”
Parnas joins a Democratic primary field that includes Robin Peguero and businessman Richard Lamondin.
The Democratic Party has labeled Salazar’s seat as a target to win in 2026. According to the Cook Political Report, it’s a “solid Republican” seat.
In 2024, Salazar won her election by roughly 21 points against former Miami-Dade school board member Lucia Baez-Geller.

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