Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani who was previously involved in efforts to find damaging information about Hunter Biden, announced his candidacy for Congress as a Democrat this week.

Parnas launched his campaign for Florida's House seat currently held by Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar. He made the announcement in a Substack post on Wednesday.

Parnas was once an ally of former President Donald Trump and worked with Giuliani on various political activities. His involvement in the search for information about Hunter Biden was part of broader political efforts during Trump's presidency.

In explaining his candidacy, Parnas said his background has transformed him into "an advocate for speaking truth to power." He indicated that his experience with what he described as "Donald Trump's system" has informed his decision to run as a Democrat.

The congressional district represents a competitive seat in Florida politics. Parnas will need to navigate both a potential Democratic primary and the general election if he advances to face the incumbent Republican representative.