FACT CHECK: Does This Photo Show Lev Parnas At Young Eric Trump’s Birthday Party?
An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows Lev Parnas, a former associate of lawyer Rudy Giuliani, attending Eric Trump’s birthday party 25 years ago.
Verdict: False
The photo, taken in 1990, shows Eric Trump’s sixth birthday party. Parnas would have been 18 at the time, whereas the man in the photo looks much older.
Fact Check:
A viral image showing a birthday party for young Eric Trump has been circulating on Twitter and Facebook over the past week. It identified the man standing next to President Donald Trump in the photo as Parnas, a former associate of the president’s personal lawyer who was indicted on campaign finance charges.
“Here is a photo of Lev Parnas who I have never met celebrating Eric’s birthday party 25 years ago,” claims the post. “25 YEARS I HAVEN’T KNOWN THIS MAN!”
Taken in 1990, the photo shows Eric Trump’s sixth birthday party at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, per its caption. Ivana Trump, the mother of Eric Trump and the first wife of Donald Trump, shared the family photo with ABC News in October 2017 while promoting her book “Raising Trump.”
Parnas, born in 1972, would have been 18 years old in 1990. The man in the photo appears to be visibly older than that. (RELATED: Did Trump And Jeffrey Epstein Pose For A Picture With A Young Ivanka?)
Furthermore, Parnas’ lawyer, Joseph Bondy, debunked the claim on Twitter Jan. 20, writing, “In response to a number of inquiries, the picture below, apparently taken at @EricTrump’s 6th birthday party, is not Lev Parnas. #LevRemembers #LetLevSpeak.”
In response to a number of inquiries, the picture below, apparently taken at @EricTrump’s 6th birthday party, is not Lev Parnas. #LevRemembers #LetLevSpeak pic.twitter.com/KjuJHt8eYR
— Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) January 20, 2020
In October 2019, Parnas told The New Yorker that he didn’t get to know Donald Trump until the 2016 campaign, though they apparently “bumped into” each other “plenty of times” in New York over the years. Trump denied knowing Parnas in a Jan. 16 press conference, saying, “I don’t know who this man is.”
However, Parnas has been photographed with the president, his family members and Vice President Mike Pence. (RELATED: Do These Images Show The Ukraine Whistleblower Posing With Democrats?)
He and associate Igor Fruman have been charged with making illegal campaign contributions to several lawmakers and political committees to advance their business interests and political goals, including trying to get the U.S. to replace its ambassador to Ukraine. Both have pleaded not guilty.