Did Nunes Break Uk Law?

Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, was allegedly involved in efforts to dig up dirt in Ukraine on former Vice President Joe Biden. This was done to benefit President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.

Nunes was in contact with Lev Parnas, a Florida businessman who worked with Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to persuade the Ukrainian government to launch an investigation into Biden. Parnas and his business partner, Igor Fruman, were indicted on charges of conspiracy, making false statements, and falsification of records.

Nunes initially denied knowing Parnas but later admitted they had spoken. Text messages, photos, and other documents suggest that Nunes was more deeply involved than previously known. He also had ties to the White House, with at least three former staffers working in the Trump administration.

Nunes has dismissed his involvement in the controversy as a smear campaign by the media. However, evidence suggests that he and his current and former aides were closely involved in the Ukraine scandal.

Devin Nunes' alleged involvement in the Ukraine scandal

Devin Nunes, a Republican lawmaker and representative for California, has been accused of involvement in the Ukraine scandal. The scandal centres on allegations that President Donald Trump sought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's assistance in digging up dirt on his political rivals, particularly Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

Nunes has been accused of helping to obtain information from contacts in Ukraine. In 2019, Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, stated that he had helped Nunes arrange meetings with Ukrainian officials, including ousted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin. Parnas's lawyer, Joseph Bondy, told CNN that "Nunes instructed Parnas to work with Harvey on the Ukraine matters".

Nunes has denied these allegations, filing a lawsuit against CNN for defamation and claiming that the allegations are "demonstrably false".

In November 2019, during an impeachment hearing, Nunes raised the question of whether it was appropriate for political parties to run operatives in foreign countries to dig up dirt on their opponents. This was in reference to the Steele dossier. However, Nunes was later accused of doing exactly what he accused others of doing.

Text messages and phone records show that Nunes and his aide, Derek Harvey, were in communication with Parnas and Giuliani. In addition, Parnas stated that Nunes and Harvey were involved in meetings with Ukrainian officials to obtain information on the Bidens.

Nunes has sought to dismiss these claims and has threatened to sue those who have accused him of involvement in the scandal.

The imposition of martial law in Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, martial law was imposed in Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response to the Russian invasion. The decree, known as Decree No. 64/2022, was approved by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian legislature) and was in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine "On the legal status of martial law".

The imposition of martial law granted the government certain powers and imposed several restrictions. The military command, together with relevant ministries and local authorities, were tasked with ensuring Ukraine's defence, public safety, and state interests. The State Emergency Service was instructed to work with other bodies to ensure the proper functioning of the unified state civil protection system. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was to inform the U.N. Secretary-General and foreign officials about the imposition of martial law and the resulting restrictions on human and civil rights.

Martial law also led to the formation of temporary state bodies, known as military administrations, which had special powers and subordination. These military administrations could implement measures such as compulsory labour for able-bodied persons not involved in defensive activities, use of resources from public and private enterprises for defensive purposes, imposition of curfews, and restriction of freedom of movement.

The introduction of martial law resulted in a reduction of certain fundamental rights, including freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and media freedom. However, these restrictions were deemed necessary to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and were considered temporal and proportional to the situation.

The legality of martial law in Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law on 24 February 2022, in response to the Russian invasion. This was the second time in Ukraine's history that martial law had been declared, the first being in 2018 for 30 days.

The legal basis for the introduction of martial law in Ukraine is the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine "On the legal status of martial law" (No. 389-VIII from May 12, 2015) and presidential decrees about the introduction of martial law.

The Constitution of Ukraine allows for some specific restrictions on rights and freedoms when the state of martial law is in effect. The Constitution explicitly extends the five-year authority of the Verkhovna Rada (the national parliament of Ukraine) in the state of martial law until the first meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the next parliamentary term, elected after the cancellation of the state of martial law.

The Law on the Legal Regime of Martial Law, which was passed in 2015, regulates the mechanism of imposing temporary restrictions on the constitutional rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities. The law allows the government to use the capacities and workforce resources of public and private enterprises for defence needs. It also enables a "special screening regime", which allows for restrictions on freedom of movement, stricter ID checks, and inspections of belongings, vehicles, and premises.

During the period of martial law, amending the Constitution, conducting referendums, organizing strikes, and holding public demonstrations and other mass gatherings are prohibited. The law also gives the government the right to control the media, ban the sale of weapons and alcoholic beverages, regulate the production of medicines, and seize radioactive materials.

The imposition of martial law in Ukraine has resulted in a reduction of certain fundamental rights, including freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and media freedom. However, the European Commission has noted that these restrictions are temporary and proportional to the situation.

The role of Derek Harvey in the Ukraine scandal

Derek Harvey was a top aide to Devin Nunes, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Harvey was involved in the Ukraine scandal, coordinating with Lev Parnas to obtain negative information against Trump's political opponent, Joe Biden. He also helped to spread the discredited claim that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 election.

Harvey was in contact with Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, and their associates, and met with them at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. He also spoke with Ukrainian officials, Nazar Kholodnytsky and Kostiantyn Kulyk, over Skype and phone.

Harvey was a key figure in the scandal, acting as Nunes' proxy in meetings with Giuliani, Parnas, and others. He was in contact with Giuliani and Parnas in February and April 2019, and was in communication with Giuliani on May 8, 2019, the same day that Giuliani spoke with the White House, Parnas, and John Solomon.

Harvey sued CNN, Lev Parnas, and Parnas' attorney for defamation in October 2020, claiming they had falsely accused him of criminal conduct. The case was dismissed, and a judge later found Harvey and his attorney had acted in bad faith, ordering them to pay CNN's court costs and legal fees.

The role of Kash Patel in the Ukraine scandal

Kashyap "Kash" Pramod Vinod Patel is an American lawyer and former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice. He was born on February 25, 1980, in Garden City, New York, to Indian Gujarati immigrant parents. He previously served as Chief of Staff to the acting U.S. secretary of defense Christopher C. Miller and as senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, both during the first presidency of Donald Trump.

Patel was a senior aide to Congressman Devin Nunes during the latter's tenure as chair of the House Intelligence Committee. While working with Nunes, Patel played a key role in helping Republicans in the investigations into Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was also the primary author of the Nunes memo, which alleged errors in the FBI application for a surveillance warrant of Trump's 2016 campaign aide.

Patel was at the center of a controversy for his alleged involvement in the Ukraine scandal. Politico reported that Patel presented himself as an imposter Ukraine expert in the White House. The suit has been filed in a Virginia state court against the American political opinion company, Politico, and journalist Natasha Bertrand. Patel is seeking $25 million from Politico, alleging defamation.

Patel's suit says that at no time before October 30, 2019, had he ever communicated on Ukraine with the President. However, the publicly released transcripts of the testimony to the House Intelligence Committee-led impeachment inquiry of former NSC Russia expert Fiona Hill and its current Ukraine expert Col. Alexander Vindman also refer to Patel's role in the matter.

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