The Tables Turn

Two Russian-born associates of Donald Trump's lawyer who are at the heart of the President’s Ukraine scandal were arrested yesterday and charged with violating several criminal statutes because they allegedly donated foreign money to a variety of Republican candidates and exceeded legal donations limits. The pair have given more than $325,000 to Trump's campaign and political action committee (details here and here).

The arrested pair were part of Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani's efforts to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating Joe Biden and his son, notwithstanding prosecutors in the European country have repeatedly said past investigations have turned up nothing.

Now it appears Giuliani's finances also are being closely reviewed by federal investigators (details here).

This is an extraordinarily bad and embarrassing development for Trump and Giuliani because two of the men they counted on to gin up a scandal in Ukraine to help the reelection campaign are now facing criminal prosecution themselves.

The fact that they made a large donation to Trump and have been photographed repeatedly with the President and Vice President at the White House, and also while meeting with Don Trump, Jr., shines further scrutiny on an already weakened presidency. It could not come at a worse time for the President whose impeachment and removal are now supported by a majority of Americans.