Wow, folks. The documents released today by Democratic investigators obtained from the phone of Trump/Giuliani associate Lev Parnas are absolutely jaw-dropping: Parnas Associate Robert F. Hyde Tracked Ousted Ambassador’s Movements in Kyiv: Docs.

On the eve of a Senate trial to remove President Trump, House Democratic investigators have released a trove of documents obtained from the phone of Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani’s who was tasked with carrying out key parts of the plot to pressure the new president of Ukraine to do political favors for Trump.

The evidence released includes eye-popping new details about several parts of the story pieced together during the impeachment inquiry—particularly Giuliani’s campaign to remove Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who testified that she was ousted after being targeted in what she described as a smear campaign by Trump and his allies.

In one exchange from March 2019, Robert F. Hyde, a Trump donor and Republican Congressional candidate whose involvement in the Ukraine saga has not been previously detailed, sent texts to Parnas that implied he had access to people spying on Yovanovitch in Kyiv, according to the newly released documents.

“They know she’s a political puppet,” Hyde texted. “They will let me know when she’s on the move… They are willing to help if you/we would like a price.”

“Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money… what I was told,” Hyde messaged. Parnas responded: “LOL.”

The House investigating committees have just sent out some additional ‘evidence’ apparently from Parnas’s devices that they’re transmitting to the Judiciary Committee. pic.twitter.com/gc5AiUt0UP

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) January 14, 2020

In case you had any doubt as to Hyde’s seriousness about putting out a hit on Ambassador Yovanovich, here he is two months ago using dehumanizing language and calling her a “traitor”:https://t.co/E0wQLA6V8S pic.twitter.com/fqqGWDkIM9

— Leah McElrath 🏳️‍🌈 (@leahmcelrath) January 15, 2020