Nunes is 'quite likely' to face ethics investigation over alleged meeting with Ukraine official

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., threatened legal action against media outlets that reported on indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas’ allegations that he met with a former top Ukrainian prosecutor at the center of the pressure effort that triggered the House impeachment inquiry.  Parnas attorney Joseph Bondy told CNN on Saturday that his client is prepared to testify that Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, met with former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin in December 2018 where he pressed Shokin on “the urgent need to launch investigations into Burisma, Joe and Hunter Biden, and any purported Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.”Advertisement:  Shokin was forced out after pressure from numerous Western nations over complaints that he was not pursuing corruption investigations. President Donald Trump and Giuliani have claimed that he was forced out because he was investigating Burisma, a Ukrainian gas firm that employed Hunter Biden, even though there is no evidence to support their claims.  Nunes refused to respond to the allegations when questioned by CNN.  "I don't talk to you in this lifetime or the next lifetime,” Nunes told a CNN reporter. “At any time. On any question.”Advertisement:  The CNN report came after Bondy told The Daily Beast that Parnas helped Nunes set up meetings in Europe for his investigative work. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., called out Nunes over the report at Thursday’s impeachment hearing, suggesting that Nunes may be a “fact witness” in the case.  Asked about the reports by Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Nunes claimed that he could not answer the question.  “Look, Maria, I really want to answer all of these questions and I promise you I absolutely will come back on the show and answer these questions,” Nunes said. “But because there is criminal activity there, we’re working with the appropriate law enforcement agency.”Advertisement:  Nunes threatened to sue both CNN and The Daily Beast, claiming their reports were “criminal in nature” because they spoke with Parnas’ lawyer, who Nunes claimed was “likely conspiring to obstruct justice.”  “You’re telling me that CNN committed criminal activity?” Bartiromo asked.Advertisement:  “Well, it’s very likely. Or they’re an accessory to it,” Nunes replied.  It’s unclear why Nunes is claiming that Parnas’ attorneys are trying to obstruct justice. Bondy has repeatedly called for House investigators to interview his client in connection with the Ukraine scandal. Parnas, who was indicted alongside partner Igor Fruman last month on charges that they illegally funneled foreign money to Republican politicians, initially hired former Trump attorney John Dowd and vowed to stonewall the investigation before flipping and agreeing to cooperate with investigators after Trump claimed not to know him.  “President Trump’s recent and regrettable disavowal of Mr. Parnas has caused him to rethink his involvement and the true reasons for his

official