Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, is reportedly being investigated for campaign finance violations and failing to register as a foreign agent.
Three anonymous officials told Bloomberg that the former New York City mayor’s facilitation of communications between the Trump administration and Ukraine forced the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office to open the probe.
“I would not be surprised if he gets indicted,” former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah told Bloomberg. “It’s clear Giuliani is up to his ears in shady stuff and there’s tons of smoke.”
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and current lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to members of the media during a White House Sports and Fitness Day at the South Lawn of the White House May 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosted the event to encourage children to participate in sports and make youth sports more accessible to economically disadvantaged students. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The same attorney’s office brought campaign finance charges against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two of Giuliani’s foreign-born associates, for conspiring “to circumvent the federal laws against foreign influence by engaging in a scheme to funnel foreign money to candidates for federal and State office so that the defendants could buy potential influence with candidates, campaigns, and the candidates’ government.” (RELATED: Giuliani Associates Plead Not Guilty To Campaign Finance Charges)
Bloomberg’s report alleges that the new investigation could raise even more legal headaches for Trump, given Giuliani’s unique position “not only as the president’s lawyer but also an ally who seeks to further Trump’s political objectives.”
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and current lawyer for President Donald Trump, attends the game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on May 28, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. MLB players across the league are wearing special uniforms to commemorate Memorial Day. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Giuliani has repeatedly ignored summons from House Democrats conducting the Trump impeachment inquiry and said in October that he did not require a lawyer in relation to the indictments raised against Parnas and Fruman. He repeatedly minimized the reports and attacks against his actions in Ukraine during an October interview with the Daily Caller’s Stephanie Hamill. (RELATED: Exclusive Sit-Down With The Daily Caller: Rudy Giuliani Opens Up About Impeachment, Ukraine, Biden And Trump)
He did, however, hire Robert Costello and attorneys from the firm of Pierce Bainbridge in November. (RELATED: Giuliani Hires High-Powered Criminal Defense Team)
Giuliani did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment on the Bloomberg report.