Exclusive: Ukrainian tycoon's lawyer says he lent money to Giuliani associate

In his first public comments on the transaction since it was revealed by U.S. prosecutors this week, the Dubai-based lawyer, Ralph Isenegger, said in an emailed statement to Reuters that the interest-bearing loan was a personal business transaction.

“The funds were entirely mine and I was not acting in this matter at the request of or on behalf of any of my clients or indeed anyone else,” he said in the statement.

Isenegger is a lawyer for Dmytro Firtash, one of Ukraine’s wealthiest businessman who is fighting extradition by U.S. authorities on bribery charges from Vienna, where he has lived for five years.

U.S. prosecutors said Ukraine-born U.S. citizen Parnas, who has been charged with campaign finance violations, concealed the payment from them. Parnas, who is under house arrest in Florida, denied hiding it.