Chalupa was born in Davis, California, to Tanya Keis and Leo M. Chalupa, both Ukrainian immigrants.[4][1][5][6] Tanya was born in a United Nations refugee camp in Heidenheim, Germany after World War II.[5] Tanya's and Leo's parents brought them to the United States as children seeking asylum from the Soviet Union, and they grew up in the Bronx, New York.[5] As a couple, they moved to California, where Leo earned a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and became a professor at UC Davis.[5]

….Chalupa attended Davis Senior High School, pursued peace and conflict studies at UC Berkeley, and received her J.D. degree from UC Davis.[4]

….2016 presidential election

In 2014, Chalupa began to research the Revolution of Dignity for a pro bono client unrelated to the DNC.[6] The research included Paul Manafort, his work for Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, and his connections to pro-Russian oligarchs.[6] After Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015, she expanded her research to include Trump and his ties to Russia.[6]

She began warning Ukrainian-American community leaders in January 2016 that Manafort was Russian president Vladimir Putin’s "political brain for manipulating U.S. foreign policy and elections."[6] She also shared her concerns with a senior DNC official, saying that a connection between the Trump campaign and Russia would likely mean Manafort would become involved in the election.[6] Near the end of March, she visited the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, D.C., to organize an event in June highlighting female Ukrainian leaders.[6] While there, she shared her concerns with Ambassador Valeriy Chaly and his aide Oksana Shulyar.[6]

Manafort joined the Trump campaign a few days later as its convention manager.[7][6] The day after the campaign announced[8] Manafort's joining, Chalupa briefed the DNC's communications staff on Manafort's and Trump's ties to Russia.[6] A week later, Chalupa met with a foreign policy legislative assistant to Representative Marcy Kaptur in a failed attempt to start a congressional investigation into Manafort's activities.[6]

After the election, Chalupa assisted the Clinton campaign with their efforts to force vote recounts in some states.[9]

On September 14, 2016, Chalupa was interviewed by an agent from the FBI.[10]