Rudy Guiliani was rebuked by John Bolton after ‘engaging in secret diplomacy with Nicolás Madura’

Rudy Guiliani was rebuked by John Bolton after getting involved in shadow diplomacy with Nicolas Madura about the future of Venezuela, according to reports.

President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer is said to have engaged in talks with the embattled president in September last year in an effort to ease him out of power and open up the country to US businesses.

Then-Rep. Pete Sessions was also on the call, The Washington Post reports. Guiliani then went on the payroll of tycoon Alejandro Betancourt López from the region.    

Administration officials did not know why he was on the call with Madura, a source told The Washington Post. One said: ‘We didn’t know why Rudy was involved at the time.’

And his chat went against then national security adviser John Bolton who was a strong advocate of a hardline approach to remove leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. 

One former White House official said: ‘There was absolutely no interest or appetite for negotiations. We generally did not welcome efforts like this one. It wasn’t consistent with our policy goals. We saw it as a nuisance and a distraction.’ 

The former New York City mayor has already found himself at the center of impeachment controversy for his alleged shadow diplomacy regarding Ukraine. 

Rudy Guiliani was rebuked by John Bolton, pictured, after getting involved in shadow diplomacy with Nicolas Madura about the future of Venezuela, according to reports

Rudy Guiliani, left, was rebuked by John Bolton, right, after getting involved in shadow diplomacy with Nicolas Madura about the future of Venezuela, according to reports

A conversation between the two about Guiliani’s intervention saw Bolton strongly reject the former’s plans for Madura. Neither Guiliani or Bolton have commented on the claims made by The Washington Post. 

Sessions’ spokesman said he has never worked with Guiliani on private business. 

Trump, backed by Bolton, dramatically recognized the country’s opposition leader Juan Guaido as ‘interim president’ in January of this year.  

Giuliani’s connections to Ukraine have already come under scrutiny after Trump’s alleged attempts to use Ukrainian officials to investigate the Bidens became the heart of the impeachment inquiry.

His involvement in foreign diplomacy is said to alarm White House officials concerned about where lines are drawn on his private role for the president.

Two Giuliani’s associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, have already been indicted for campaign finance violations. The two men also reportedly helped Giuliani in his campaign to get the Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. 

It comes after a whistleblower came forward alleging that Trump tried to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation in exchange for the release of US military aid to Ukraine during a call in July.    

Giuliani returned from Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, last month after meeting with former general prosecutors and parliamentarians who’ve been known to peddle Russian conspiracy theories, including supposed plots that suggest Ukraine intervened in the 2016 US presidential election and the Bidens.

The president’s personal lawyer briefed Trump about his findings upon his return to Washington, two sources with knowledge of the conversation said.  

Bolton was a strong advocate of a hardline approach to remove leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, pictured. Trump, backed by Bolton, dramatically recognized the country's opposition leader Juan Guaido as 'interim president' in January of this year

Bolton was a strong advocate of a hardline approach to remove leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, pictured. Trump, backed by Bolton, dramatically recognized the country’s opposition leader Juan Guaido as ‘interim president’ in January of this year

Rep. Pete Sessions, center, was also on the call with Maduro, The Washington Post reports

Rep. Pete Sessions, center, was also on the call with Maduro, The Washington Post reports

Bolton was a strong advocate of a hardline approach to remove leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. Bolton’s departure from the White House led some to speculate Trump might take a softer approach on the matter.

Trump dismissed that thought with his tweet in September.

The president said he disagreed with Bolton on Venezuela but offered no specifics.

‘I disagreed with John Bolton on his attitudes on Venezuela. I thought he was way out of line and I think I’ve proven to be right,’ Trump said.

The president was reported to be angry with Bolton for predicting a quick toppling of Maduro and growing impatient with the fact the leftist leader was still in power after a U.S. campaign of economic sanctions – led by Bolton – failed to remove Maduro.

Trump and 50 other countries recognized Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaidó as the country’s interim president. 

On his impeachment Trump maintains his denial of any wrongdoing, especially when it comes to the July 25 phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, which is what led to the launch of impeachment proceedings.

The president often refers to his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky as ‘perfect,’ defending against Democrats who claim he set a quid pro quo during the July call for release of millions in military aid in exchange for Ukraine opening an investigation into political rival Joe Biden. 

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk