Indicted Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas, who has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin stands between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his chances of denying former President Donald Trump the Republican nomination ticket to run against Democratic Party’s Joe Biden, who will be seeking a second term.

Within a week of their second meeting, DeSantis and Parnas began exchanging ideas and gossip about potential donors, the texts show. On May 29, 2018, DeSantis sent Parnas a text introducing his fundraising aide, Heather Barker, and enlisting Parnas’ help in lining up donors for events in Boca Raton and on Star Island, an exclusive community in Miami.

“Let me know a good time this week to chat about logistics and date ideas,” Barker texted Parnas.

Barker requested that Reuters email her questions for this report, but did not respond to the questions. The next month, the texts show, DeSantis asked Parnas for advice on how to handle a potential major donor.

“Would it be reasonable to ask him to donate $50K?” DeSantis asked. “I think he did six figures for Trump.”

DeSantis had done his homework: The donor, South Florida roofing contractor Michael Trussell, had contributed $100,000 to a joint Trump-Republican Party fundraising committee in 2016, campaign records show.

Parnas replied by text that he would call DeSantis. On the phone, he told DeSantis that Trussell was an acquaintance and would indeed be good for about $50,000, Parnas said.

Ten days after that exchange, campaign finance records show, Trussell’s roofing firm donated $10,000 to DeSantis, and added another $13,000 before the 2018 election. The firm has contributed another $143,000 since, campaign finance records show.

Trussell said he met Parnas once at a Trump fundraiser but had no relationship with him, adding that DeSantis did not mention Parnas when he called seeking a campaign donation.

On the evening of June 5, DeSantis reached out to Parnas. “I’ll swing by Trump Hotel tonight,” he said, “before I go on Laura Ingraham – is that ok?” Ingraham is a host on Fox News, the right-wing news and opinion channel. DeSantis appeared on her show that evening.

“Perfect,” Parnas texted back. Parnas said the two met at the hotel and discussed Giuliani’s support of DeSantis.

On June 21, 2018, Parnas’ company, Global Energy Producers, donated $50,000 to DeSantis’ campaign for governor. The company was unusual. Although incorporated in early 2018 as an energy investor, it never completed a single deal, according to the US charges against Parnas.

After thanking Parnas for the contribution, DeSantis pushed him again to help land a big donor: Robert Pereira, president of construction firm Middlesex Corp. Parnas knew the businessman from past fundraisers in Florida.

“Now let’s bring Robert home!” DeSantis wrote. Three weeks later, DeSantis added, “Make sure he gives a lot.”

Pereira later co-hosted a fundraiser for DeSantis with Parnas and his company donated $115,000 to DeSantis’ 2018 campaign, campaign finance records show. He declined to discuss Parnas with Reuters and did not respond to detailed questions.

Political donations from Parnas’ company later emerged as part of the criminal case against Parnas and Muraviev, the Russian oligarch who federal authorities indicted for making illegal campaign contributions to boost a planned marijuana business.

Justice Department officials said Muraviev tried to influence the 2018 US elections by plotting to send $1 million to candidates and campaigns, hoping to win favour for a cannabis business venture. It is illegal for foreign nationals to donate to American political campaigns.

Parnas said DeSantis had agreed to meet Muraviev and knew of the tycoon’s ambitions to enter the cannabis business in Florida. The meeting, however, never happened. Prosecutors did not specifically mention the $50,000 donation by Parnas’ company to DeSantis in their federal case.

But they said Parnas’s donations were part of a scheme that included circumventing campaign finance laws and soliciting money from a foreign national to win influence in Florida. There is no evidence that DeSantis knew of wrongdoing.

Parnas “defrauded the American public” with the foreign donor scheme and lied “about the source of funds for political contributions,” said a Justice Department statement after Parnas’ sentencing last year.

On June 22, 2018, Trump tweeted a strong formal endorsement for DeSantis. “Ron is strong on Borders, tough on Crime & big on Cutting Taxes – Loves our Military & our Vets. He will be a Great Governor & has my full Endorsement!”

Promoting Trump’s support in his mail and TV ads, DeSantis opened a wide lead. On August 28, he won the Republican primary.

But going into the general election, DeSantis was the underdog, trailing Democratic opponent Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, the first Black nominee for Florida governor. As a federal corruption investigation into Tallahassee’s government made headlines, threatening to torpedo Gillum’s prospects, Parnas sent DeSantis a text on October 26, telling him, “I’m going to have Rudy do a tweet” on Gillum.

“He needs to hit him on his scandal,” DeSantis texted back to Parnas. “Can say as a prosecutor this would be an indictable case etc.” Parnas texted back a thumbs up emoji and wrote, “Tomorrow.”

The next day, Parnas texted DeSantis a picture of Giuliani’s tweet. It wasn’t exactly what DeSantis suggested but did use the phrasing: “As a former prosecutor and mayor, I ask the people of my adopted State Florida to reject a mayor with highest murder and crime rates in state…”

During the general election, Parnas attended rallies with DeSantis, taking Giuliani’s plane from one event to the next.

“Big day my brother!!! We will win!!!” Parnas texted on election day.

With Gillum weighed down by the corruption investigation, DeSantis eked out a narrow victory. Parnas was photographed hugging DeSantis that night at the victory party. A jury this month acquitted Gillum of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and failed to reach a verdict on charges that he pocketed campaign contributions. The remaining charges were dismissed last week.

“Had the FBI not leaked their investigation, which ultimately – and correctly – ended up in an acquittal, there is no question that Andrew Gillum would be the governor of Florida today,” Gillum’s lawyers said in a statement. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment.

After the election, DeSantis quit responding to Parnas’ texts. By then, Parnas and his business partner, Fruman, were facing federal scrutiny over their political donations. After Parnas was indicted in October 2019, DeSantis returned his $50,000 donation to the US government. Fruman pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges in 2021 and was sentenced last year to a year in prison.

A jury convicted Parnas of campaign finance crimes. He pleaded guilty to fraud related to his “Fraud Guarantee” business, which boasted it could insure people against fraud while defrauding its investors of more than $2 million, according to federal prosecutors.

Infuriated at being frozen out, Parnas claims that DeSantis reneged on a promise to give him a place on a gubernatorial transition committee. Finally, he said, DeSantis agreed to a private meeting in January 2019 at a jet terminal at West Palm Beach International Airport. He said DeSantis assured him that “I’m still his boy,” even if he had to avoid associating with him in public.

Parnas said he subsequently spoke several times with DeSantis by phone, but they never resumed their close relationship. He says he remains angry at DeSantis.

“Remember, he was my friend,” Parnas said. “I didn’t just look at him as the governor – he was my friend.”

• A Reuters report