Rudy Giuliani is insisting he is still President Trump’s personal lawyer – despite new claims the attorney is being investigated by federal prosecutors in New York for possible lobbying violations.
The allegation deals with Giuliani’s push to have the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch removed, and his associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested and charged with campaign finance crimes in an indictment unsealed Thursday.
On Friday, Trump told reporters that he doesn’t know whether his long-time friend Giuliani is still representing him. But when probed later on about whether he was in the role, the former New York Mayor replied, ‘Yes.’
Giuliani told CNN – which reports sources claim he won’t be dealing with matters involving Ukraine: ‘There are no Ukraine issues. I finished that in March. I’m still representing him.’
Rudy Giuliani replied ‘yes’ when asked Friday if he’s still representing President Donald Trump
His associates Lev Parnas (pictured left) and Igor Fruman were arrested and charged with campaign finance crimes in an indictment unsealed Thursday
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether Giuliani should have registered as a foreign agent, two anonymous people familiar with the inquiry told the New York Times on Friday.
One of the Times’ sources says the investigation is related to Giuliani’s efforts to undermine former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was recalled this spring.
Giuliani does not deny pushing for Yovanovich’s removal from Kyiv, but says that he did so at the behest of Trump, not of any foreign officials.
The Foreign Agent Registration Act also contains an exemption for legal work, and Giuliani says that his work in Ukraine stemmed from his legal defense of Trump in the special counsel investigation.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment Friday night on the Times report.
Feds want to know whether Giuliani’s push to undermine US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch (above on Friday) was at the behest of foreign government officials
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested and charged with campaign finance crimes in an indictment unsealed Thursday. Both are Giuliani associates
It comes after two Florida businessmen tied to Giuliani were charged Thursday with federal campaign finance violations.
The men had key roles in Giuliani’s efforts to launch a Ukrainian corruption investigation against Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
A whistleblower complaint about Trump’s involvement with Ukraine led the the Democrats’ current impeachment investigation.
Earlier on Friday, Trump cast doubt over whether former Giuliani will long be representing him, when he said he ‘has been’ his attorney.
Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is seen with one of his now-arrested fixers, Lev Parnas. Prosecutors are now reportedly probing Giuliani for possible FARA violations
Giuliani (center) and Lev Parnas (right) are seen visiting Ukraine in November 2018 and meeting with Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman
Giuliani is seen in November 2018 during a trip to Ukraine. Lev Parnas is seated at the head of the table as they meet with emissaries of the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine
Trump was asked about the matter a day after two Giuliani associates were indicted in federal court on alleged campaign finance violations.
The men, both born in former Soviet republics, have assisted Giuliani in pursuit of his theory Biden family corruption.
‘Well, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Rudy,’ Trump said, when asked about it.
‘I spoke to him yesterday briefly. He’s a very good attorney, and he has been my attorney—yeah, sure,’ Trump responded.
On Thursday, it was revealed that Trump’s team is bringing on former GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy as part of his impeachment defense, but Trump said Gowdy would not be able to start immediately due to revolving door rules.
Giuliani told New York magazine he has ‘no reason to believe’ he’s not Trump’s attorney. ‘I am still his lawyer until he tells me I’m not,’ he said.
Giuliani promoted Ukrainian investigations of the Bidens that President Trump brought up with the president of Ukraine
The legal drama comes on a day when the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine whom Giuliani disparaged, Marie Yovanovitch, testified before the House Intelligence Committee.
The matter is part of what has become a House impeachment investigation. Giuliani has also spent months probing Hunter Biden’s board position on a Ukrainian gas company. Trump in his infamous call with the Ukrainian president asked for a ‘favor’ and brought up an investigation of former Vice President Biden and his son.
In one astonishing development, Giuliani was revealed to have dined with the two indicted men, Viktor Parnas and Igor Fruman, hours before they were arrested at Dulles airport with one-way tickets to Europe.
A series of explosive revelations have followed since then, leading Giuliani to go out in repeated cable TV appearances to defend his president and tie his opponents to overseas intrigue.