Robert Hyde, Trump donor, landscaper from Connecticut and congressional candidate, took pains to distance himself from Lev Parnas Friday with a flurry of tweets and a video.
He spends much of the video bashing House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), whom he refers to as a “piece o’ Schiff.” Hyde also insists that he has no ties to Ukraine.
— HYDE for U.S. Congress (@rfhyde1) January 17, 2020
In his tweets, Hyde calls Parnas a “scumbag con artist” who stole “millions” from “innocent investors.”
Parnas has also sought to distance himself from Hyde this week, after a tranche of messages he gave to the House Intel Committee were published. In interactions between Hyde and Parnas specifically, Hyde talks about alleged surveillance of former Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
“She under heavy protection outside Kyiv,” Hyde sent to Parnas in March. “They are moving her tomorrow,” he added days later.
“They are willing to help if we/you would like a price,” he texted Parnas later that day, March 25. “Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with the money… what I was told.”
“Lol,” Parnas said in response.
Parnas told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that Hyde was possibly drinking when he sent the messages.
“I don’t believe it’s true,” he said. “I think he was either drunk or he was trying to make himself bigger than he was. So I didn’t take it seriously.”
The FBI visited Hyde’s home and workplace on Thursday.
