The attempt to get Morris to defect was just the latest attempt to undermine Yushchenko's support. A new election, which he is expected to win, is scheduled for Dec. 26.

Yushchenko and his backers believe that dioxin was slipped into his food by KGB operatives working for Russian President Vladimir Putin, resulting in temporary facial disfigurement.

"When he began to move ahead in the polls by 10 or 15 points, the authorities tried to kill him," Morris said, noting that the poisoning was, in fact, the second attempt to murder his client during the campaign.

"First they tried to run him off the road while he was driving," Morris told Hannity. "His car was totaled but he walked away."

The former White House political consultant said that when he first signed on to Yushchenko's campaign he was warned, "If you go to Kiev to work for this guy, there is no risk of assassination - you will be killed."

Editor's note: