Rachel Maddow to Release Documentary on Lev Parnas

On Monday, MSNBC Films announced that host Rachel Maddow will debut “From Russia With Lev,” a documentary she executive produced focusing on Lev Parnas, a former associate of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. In 2020, Parnas faced indictment on campaign finance charges and later turned over documents to House investigators, contradicting claims made by Trump and his legal team.

The film will premiere on Sept. 7 at MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024 held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. “From Russia With Lev” delves into the role of Ukrainian-born Parnas in his dealings with the former president, shedding light on the scheme that contributed to Trump’s impeachment. The documentary incorporates over 30 hours of interviews, alongside a wealth of photos, documents, and recordings, to portray how Parnas exposes a furtive campaign to discredit then-candidate Joe Biden with false allegations. The film promises an unparalleled and unfiltered view of former President Trump.

“Lev Parnas’ story is like Tom Clancy if Jack Ryan was played by Jackie Mason,” notes director Billy Corben. “This film continues rakontur’s signature subgenre of ‘Florida Men Behaving Badly with World-Changing Geopolitical Stakes.'”

The genesis of “From Russia With Lev” can be traced back to Maddow’s 2020 interview with a “remorseful” Parnas during Trump’s first impeachment trial. The interview garnered significant attention, earning “The Maddow Show” an Emmy nomination and drawing one of its largest audiences ever.

During that televised interview, Parnas made striking allegations, claiming, “President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He was aware of all of my movements. . . . He lied. He knew exactly who we were. He knew exactly who I was especially because I interacted with him at a lot of events . . . I was with Rudy when he would speak to the president — plenty of times.”

Maddow commented, “There should be more documentaries from an insider’s perspective about the Trump presidency. There should be a Mike Pence documentary. There should be a John Kelly documentary, or a Rex Tillerson documentary. But it takes someone like Lev Parnas to be brave enough to speak up first. Lev’s story is un-put-down-able.”

The documentary’s co-executive producers include Rashida Jones, Rebecca Kutler, and Amanda Spain, with Alfred Spellman serving as producer. “From Russia With Lev” will be released in theaters and broadcast on MSNBC later in September.