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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING-Calls for Republican Rep. Devin Nunes to resign spread rapidly on social media Friday night following reports that Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, is willing to testify to House impeachment investigators that Nunes met with a former Ukrainian prosecutor in an effort to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden.
Parnas' attorney Joseph Bondy told CNN Friday that his client "learned from former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin that Nunes had met with Shokin in Vienna last December," news that sparked the trending Twitter hashtag #NunesResign.
According to CNN, Parnas and Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee and a fervent Trump defender, "began communicating around the time of the Vienna trip."
"Parnas says he worked to put Nunes in touch with Ukrainians who could help Nunes dig up dirt on Biden and Democrats in Ukraine," CNN reported. "That information would likely be of great interest to House Democrats given its overlap with the current impeachment inquiry into President Trump and could put Nunes in a difficult spot. Bondy tells CNN his client is willing to comply with a congressional subpoena for documents and testimony."
Nunes has repeatedly claimed during public impeachment hearings that Ukraine may have meddled in the 2016 election in an effort to harm Trump's campaign.
"President Trump had good reason to be wary of Ukrainian election meddling against his campaign," Nunes said Thursday.
Fiona Hill, a former member of Trump's National Security Council, testified Thursday that Nunes' claim of Ukraine election meddling is a "harmful" fiction.
CNN story came days after The Daily Beast reported that Parnas, who was indicted last month on campaign finance charges, "helped arrange meetings and calls in Europe" for Nunes.
In a statement to far-right outlet Breitbart News, Nunes accused CNN and The Daily Beast of "defamation" and said he plans to sue both publications.
"I look forward to prosecuting these cases, including the media outlets, as well as the sources of their fake stories, to the fullest extent of the law," Nunes said. "I intend to hold The Daily Beast and CNN accountable for their actions. They will find themselves in court soon after Thanksgiving."
When CNN asked Nunes earlier this month about the reported Vienna trip, Nunes refused to answer.
"I don't talk to you in this lifetime or the next lifetime," the California Republican said. "At any time. On any question."
(Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @johnsonjakep) Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images. Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
