A former Ukrainian lawmaker who U.S. Authorities say acted as a Russian agent for over a decade and tried to influence the 2020 presidential election through meetings with Rudy Giuliani has been criminally charged in New York in connection with purchases of luxury Beverly Hills real estate.
The charges against Andrii Derkach, 55, of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, were announced Wednesday in Brooklyn by U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.
Derkach has been characterized by the U.S. Government as an “active Russian agent” for over a decade. Authorities say he met multiple times during the 2020 race with Giuliani, a close Trump ally, and released heavily edited recordings of Democrat Joe Biden in an effort to disparage him. Prosecutors also say Derkach sought to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself and his family through the purchase of two Beverly Hills condominiums even as he hid his interests in the transactions from banks.