Last week, federal Investigators executed a search warrant on former New York City Mayor and personal lawyer to Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani. investigators searched the former mayor’s Upper East Side apartment and office in connection with a long-running criminal investigation into whether or not the former mayor illegally lobbied on behalf of the Ukrainian government.
Prosecutors are also examining dealings Giuliani had with Ukrainian official Yuriy Lutsenko, who federal authorities believe urged Giuliani to lobby for the removal of American ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in exchange for information about political rivals. Giuliani has also taken in hundreds of thousands of dollars doing vague consulting jobs for Lutsenko, which led to a draft retainer agreement that was never executed.
Giuliani has repeatedly denied any allegations that he represented Ukrainian interests in the Trump White House, but it is now widely believed the search warrants were executed in an attempt to ascertain how much of an influence Giuliani may have had on Trump regarding his decision to fire Yovanovitch.
“Twice, Mr. Giuliani’s counsel offered to sit with [federal attorneys for the Southern District of New York] and demonstrate that Mr. Giuliani’s conduct was lawful. It is outrageous that the Trump Derangement Syndrome has gone so far that hatred has driven this unjustified and unethical attack on the United States Attorney and Mayor who did more to reduce crime than virtually any other in American history,” Giuliani’s attorney Robert Costello said in a statement Thursday.
