Rudy Giuliani blew through a self-imposed deadline of noon Friday to reveal evidence of ‘shocking crimes’ by Joe and Hunter Biden on his newly-launched podcast – but told listeners who made it to the end: ‘Get ready for it!’
The president’s personal counsel – who is not part of his impeachment defense in the Senate – used the 35-minute YouTube recording and podcast to argue against impeaching Donald Trump.
At the end, he promised that he had facts ‘shortly,’ but this time offered no idea of when.
He had first promised new evidence when he appeared on Fox & Friends and vowed, in a rambling interview, to release proof of what he claims is deep corruption involving Ukraine and the Bidens.
While speaking about his investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden, Giuliani told the morning show he would release evidence later on Friday via a podcast that supports his claims of ‘shocking crimes,’ and said: ‘I’m going to start a podcast at noon today.’
He added that he would also provide recorded testimony in the coming weeks that also backs his claims.
Giuliani claims he ‘didn’t go looking for dirt on Biden’ but it was handed to him by two ‘informants’ 18 months ago.
On his YouTube channel-cum-podcast, called Common Sense, the former New York mayor said nothing to suggest where his new facts were.
Another promise: ‘I particularly look forward to bringing to you many of the facts that I have discovered that no-one knows yet, that are quite dramatic and that clearly support every single thing that we’ve talked about,’ Giuliani told viewers and listeners
Rudy Giuliani had promised to release shocking ‘evidence’ on Friday regarding Ukraine corruption that he claims will prompt an investigation into presidential candidate Joe Biden. But he blew past that deadline without producing any
The podcast was hosted on YouTube and on Giuliani’s new website, which offers ‘Insight on leadership, courage and the most pressing issues of our time,’ but also appears to have elements copied from another website touting him as a public speaker, saying: ‘Offering a dynamic and lively presentation accompanied by Q&A, Giuliani reminds audiences that eternal vigilance and leadership are required to protect freedom.’
On the podcast, during which car horns could be heard, Giuliani offered a lengthy, and at times hesitant, discussion of why he did not believe Trump should be impeached and eventually turned to his claims.
‘This of course is an unfolding story,’ he said, sitting in front of books which included his memiors, turned face-front to be more visible.
‘We will follow it in more detail. I particularly look forward to bringing to you many of the facts that I have discovered that no-one knows yet, that are quite dramatic and that clearly support every single thing that we’ve talked about.
‘I found those facts in my role as counsel for President Trump in order to defend him and I can think of no more appropriate thing to do than share them with you. They’re somewhat startling so don’t,’ he said then trailed off.
‘Get ready for it. I hope to see you very shortly.’
The podcast was published a few hours before a tape of his client, the president, demanding Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch be fired and saying ‘take her out, do it!’ to aides surfaced.
The tape was made at a dinner with Trump by Igor Fruman – who along with Lev Parnas were Giuliani’s long-term Soviet-born sidekicks until they were indicted on campaign finance charges.
On Fox & Friends Giuliani had been very specific about what he would offer his listeners and viewers. ‘I was given information about Ukrainian corruption,’ he said without revealing who the two informants were.
‘They told me that there was a great deal of collusion going on in Ukraine to fix the 2016 election in favor of Hillary Clinton. That what happened in Russia was a big hoax. That, actually, it was the Democrats projecting what they had actually done in Ukraine.
‘I don’t know if it’s true or not. They gave me witnesses. I have since interviewed 10 of them. I’ve got eight of them on tape. I’m going to start a podcast at noon today.
‘And starting next week, the people will hear these witnesses who our embassy will not give a visa to because they’re still covering up the corruption the embassy was involved in in 2016.’
Giuliani has previously pushed the unproven theory that it was the Ukraine – and not Russia – that interfered in the 2016 election.
Without offering evidence, Giuliani also said during his interview: ‘The embassy was involved in gathering dirt on Trump, on Trump Jr., and on [Paul] Manafort.
‘And not only that, they were involved in turning over falsified evidence, absolutely completely falsified. Four witnesses will testify to that over the course of the next two to three weeks.
‘I’m going to present over the next two to three weeks shocking crimes at the highest levels of both governments while the Senate is listening to a totally phony group of stories about non-impeachable offenses.
Together again: Igor Fruman (second left) appears to have made the tape which ABC News says features Lev Parnas (center)
The personal attorney of President Trump appeared on Fox & Friends on Friday and vowed, in a rambling interview, to release proof of what he claims is deep corruption involving Ukraine and Joe and Hunter Biden
While speaking about his investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden, Giuliani said he would release evidence later on Friday via a podcast that supports his claims of ‘shocking crimes’
‘It’s like trying somebody for not a crime. It’s a total waste of money. It’s a complete show on the part of the Democrats.’
When asked how this ends, Giuliani said: ‘This ends, hopefully, with Biden finally being put under investigation.
‘You don’t think if these things were said about Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr., they wouldn’t be under investigation immediately?’
The former New York Mayor refused to answer directly when asked if Trump wanted him to continue investigating.
‘Would you like me to give it up?’ Giuliani hit back.
‘They’re a bunch of phonies. I did my job as an attorney. I did it well, I did it honorably, and I did the country a service in bringing out this corruption that everybody else is afraid to touch.’
Giuliani traveled to Ukraine in December and has said that he would release a report on what he found there.
The former New York City mayor has claimed – but has yet to offer proof – that Hunter Biden made millions from his work on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, and from advising a Chinese hedge fund.
Giuliani, one of Trump’s personal attorneys, is not serving on the president’s defense team during the impeachment trial in the Senate.
He lobbied to be a part of it but Giuliani is also a potential witness in the case should the Senate vote to call additional ones.
The president has made Hunter Biden and his work in the Ukraine and China a frequent target of his political taunts at his campaign rallies.
Hunter Biden has previously said he never discussed his work in Ukraine or China with his father.
Giuliani and Trump allies claim Joe Biden, when he was vice president, pushed the Ukraine to fire a prosecutor to help the company Hunter Biden worked with.
Joe Biden said he was following international and Obama administration policy in regards to the prosecutor, whom there were concerns was not doing enough to fight corruption
Neither Biden has been charged with any wrong doing.