Giuliani Won’t Face Charges in Ukraine Lobbying Probe
Federal prosecutors in N.Y. on Monday filed a brief letter in US District Court stating that Rudy Giuliani, ex-personal lawyer to former Pres. Trump, would face no criminal charges in a three-year grand jury investigation of his lobbying efforts in Ukraine.
Facts
- Federal prosecutors in N.Y. on Monday filed a brief letter in US District Court stating that Rudy Giuliani, ex-personal lawyer to former Pres. Trump, would face no criminal charges in a three-year grand jury investigation of his lobbying efforts in Ukraine “based on information currently available to the Government.”
- In response to the news, Giuliani tweeted, "Complete & Total Vindication,” while his attorney Robert Costello said he wasn’t surprised there were no charges because “there was no evidence that he did anything wrong.”
- Prosecutors had attempted to determine if Giuliani’s dealings with contacts in Ukraine leading up to the 2020 presidential election violated the law because he didn’t register as a foreign agent. As part of the investigation, 16 devices belonging to Giuliani and his employees were seized at his home during an FBI search in April 2021.
- The former N.Y. mayor’s interactions with Ukrainians were part of the case made against Trump when the Democrat-controlled House impeached him in early 2020. Trump — who the Senate acquitted — was alleged to have been pressuring Ukraine to find damaging information on Joe Biden.
- Prosecutors in Ga. are still looking into Giuliani’s role in interfering with the 2020 election and the certification of the results. He was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in August.
Sources: USA Today, Daily Mail, NBC, and Washington Post.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by WSJ. The Democratic witch hunt that failed to convict Trump during his first impeachment has now come up short in its pursuit of punishing Giuliani for something he didn’t do. He maintained his innocence throughout this baseless investigation, and now he’s been vindicated.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by CBS. Giuliani shouldn’t be boasting about barely escaping this tight legal bind. Evidence shows he did some disreputable things on behalf of Trump in Ukraine. A Republican-led Senate let Trump off the hook, but we don’t know if Giuliani has been exonerated or was let off on a technicality because prosecutors have not commented on this filing.
