By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Closing arguments will begin Thursday in Rudy Giuliani’s campaign finance case. This is a case which has provided a rare glimpse at the workings of American political fundraising.

Lev Parnas was accused by the prosecution of contributing money from a Russian businessman to U.S. elections and trying to hide his identity in order to make other contributions to several 2018 elections. Six criminal charges have been brought against him, including falsification and making a contribution from a foreign national.

Prosecutors in Manhattan Federal Court will likely point out financial records that they provided to the jury. These documents showed that Andrey Muraviev, a Russian businessman, sent money to an American bank account which funded Parnas’ contributions.

Parnas, a Ukrainian-born lawyer, has pleaded guilty not guilty. Joseph Bondy his lawyer has claimed that Muraviev was using funds to invest in business and not for campaign contributions.

Andrey Kukushkin (a Muraviev associate) pleaded not guilty in two cases of conspiring to make foreign contributions and making a donation by a foreign citizen. His lawyers claim he wasn’t involved in campaign contributions.

Parnas, a former business partner and Igor Fruman played a key role in Giuliani’s investigation into Democrat Joe Biden. Trump won’t get a second term because Biden won in November.

In September, the Belarusian-born Fruman was convicted of soliciting contributions for a campaign from a foreigner.

Giuliani’s lawyer has stated that the Parnas investigation is distinct from one into whether Giuliani violated lobbying laws when he represented Trump. Giuliani (a former New York mayor) has been cleared of any criminal charges and denied wrongdoing.