Two associates of US President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani were arrested Thursday for violating campaign finance laws. The indictment charges that Ignor Fruman and Lev Parnas and two others “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 defendant could buy potential influence.” They are charged with two counts of conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records.

Fruman and Parnas are both businessmen and US citizens. Fruman was born in Belarus, and Parnas was born in Ukraine. Neither had a significant history of political donations prior to 2018. Parnas introduced Giuliani to current and former Ukrainian officials.

Fruman and Parnas are accused of laundering foreign money through the use of straw donors in order to exceed individual limits on contributions and of advancing their own, and at least one Ukrainian government official’s personal and financial interests.

The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York contends that Fruman and Parnas created a Limited Liability Corporation called Global Energy Producers (GEP). To GEP they contributed over $300,000 and falsely reported donations to a US Congressman came from GEP. However, the funds never passed through a GEP account.

Additionally, they allegedly made illegal contributions in Parnas’ name, that were funded by Fruman, in order to evade federal contribution limits. These contributions were made to a US Congressman from whom they sought assistance in order to remove or recall US Ambassador to Ukraine at the request of Ukranian government officials.

Furthermore, the government contends that in July 2018 Fruman and Parnas made plans to form a recreational marijuana business that would require gaining access to a retail marijuana license and made a donation to elect a Nevada state official who would subvert regulations of the marijuana business.