10/28/2020 01:13 PM EDTThe criminal campaign finance fraud prosecution of several associates of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani appears to be on the verge of netting its first guilty plea, as a federal court in Manhattan set a change-of-plea hearing for Thursday morning for Florida businessman David Correia.
Prosecutors also allege that the scheme involved efforts to urge the removal of then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was recalled from her post in May 2019. Prosecutors say part of the scheme involved Lev Parnas and Correia seeking to lobby a congressman, who is unnamed in the indictment but appears from other indications to be Rep. Pete Sessions , who posed for photos with the men on Capitol Hill in May 2018. Sessions has not been charged and has said the meeting concerned energy independence for Ukraine.