Thread by @jedshug

Thread following @maddow interview with Parnas.
I am particularly interested in his Barr allegations.
Remember Trump implicates Barr in the July Ukraine call & Barr is in whistleblower report, so reason to suspect.
But I'm skeptical if no details or documentation to verify...

https://twitter.com/jedshug/status/1217613847273574402

@maddow 2/ Maddow: "Was the President aware you were working with Giuliani to hurt Joe Biden?"

Parnas:
"Yes. It was all about Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Burisma.
It was never about corruption. It was strictly about the Bidens."

@maddow 3/ My wife asks, "Why is Parnas doing this?"
I think it makes sense if you see that Parnas is a lot like Michael Cohen. They both get busted for campaign finance felony. They realize they got in over their heads. They both come clean. But here are two differences to explain...

@maddow 4/ 1st, Cohen was desperate to protect family members, & held back information. But there were DOJ prosecutors who wanted him to give up more to get a deal - when Mueller/Rosenstein were in charge.

But it seems like Parnas is aware that this is Barr's DOJ.
A deal is unreliable.

@maddow 5/ Or maybe Barr etc. are avoiding making a deal, blocking a deal - cover-up. So that means he needs another outlet to get his story out.

2d: Parnas knows he had scary texts from Hyde. If he delayed coming forward, someone else could come clean first. A clock was ticking.

6/ Pence cancelled his Ukraine visit after "my phone call."
"I know 100%" that Pence cancelled because Zelenskiy wouldn't announce Biden investigation.

7/ Maddow: "Let me get this straight. Pence went there on Sept. 1st to tell Ukraine to announce investigation, secure an agreement from Zelenskiy."
(I think she asked about aid threat, too)
Parnas: "Yes."
"And Bolton was definitely involved. 100%. He knows what happened."

8/ For what it's worth, I need to say that Parnas is not sharing concrete details to explain how he knows these things. Not much help without more detail.
And Maddow isn't doing a great job asking for details.
Saying "100%" over and over is not evidence.
But let's see...

9/ This show is 30 minutes in, and Maddow has apparently not asked for documentation or verifiable specifics.
I'm disappointed with her interview skills tonight. She seems so willing to believe anything he says, rarely asks how he knows.
I think a lawyer needs to interview him.

10/ Parnas says he didn't believe Hyde's bluster. Said he was crazy, "drunk" "make himself bigger than he was." "Off the wall" "Loony"
"I didn't want him to get rowdy. I cut him off."
"I called Ahearn (Trump PAC)...

11/ "Ahearn said he was paranoid, thought Secret Service was after him."
"I don't believe Hyde had Amb. Yovanovitch under surveillance. Absolutely not."
He was adamant "no threat. Never."
"I definitely didn't believe Mr. Hyde."

12/ Keep in mind he has an interest in saying Hyde was no threat. He needs to minimize his own criminal conspiracy exposure by saying there was no surveillance, no threat, so he can avoid guilt.

13/ Parnas: "I was given certain documents by John Solomon to show [Putin-crony/Ukrainian oligarch] Firtash that I was in the loop, and to show him that DOJ was going to drop case against him."
[OK, how about asking him if he has phone photos to corroborate?]

14/ Parnas: "I never spoke to Barr [directly] but I was near Giuliani, Toensing, Joe DiGenova [and others] when they were on the phone with him."
"I know Barr knew everything."
"Barr was on the team."
[Again, no ask for details or documents]

15/ Parnas said he had a relationship with @DevinNunes. "He had a lot information already [about Ukraine]."
Maddow: "Are you surprised he was asking questions on the committee?"
Parnas: "I was shocked... They were involved with trying to get stuff on Biden."

@DevinNunes 16/ Maddow's explanation for why Parnas is talking so much with no deal:
"The more he makes public, the more he can document, the safer he is. The more he shares [and it's not in his own head], he feels he will be safer."

Oddly, he didn't add much documentation tonight.

@DevinNunes 17/ I give @BarbMcQuade credit. On @Lawrence, she says there wasn't much "corroboration" or "documentation."
"A lot of smoke, but I want to see the fire."
(It was Maddow's job to ask to see the fire. Disappointing.)