FBI agent executed an early-morning raid at former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment on Wednesday, The New York Times reports.
FBI agents seized electronic devices from Giuliani’s home and office as part of a years-long investigation into his business dealings in Ukraine while representing former President Donald Trump.
Agents also served a grand jury subpoena to Giuliani’s top assistant.
One of the warrants suggest investigators are looking for communications between Giuliani and multiple Ukrainian officials, including ones that helped him search for dirt on President Joe Biden during the presidential campaign.
FBI agents also executed a search warrant at the home of former Trump attorney Victoria Toensing, who was involved in Giuliani’s efforts.
Investigators appear focused on whether Giuliani illegally lobbied on behalf of Ukrainian officials while representing the president.
Giuliani denies wrongdoing:
Giuliani denied any wrongdoing, accusing the Justice Department of a “corrupt double standard” in a statement to the New York Times.
Giuliani claimed the DOJ had ignored “blatant crimes” by Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Biden, even though the Justice Department investigated Clinton and found no wrongdoing and there has been no evidence to suggest Biden has done anything illegal.
“What they did today was legal thuggery,” Giuliani’s attorney Robert Costello told the Times.
Trump also defended the former New York City mayor in an interview with Fox Business.
“Rudy Giuliani is a great patriot. He does these things — he just loves this country, and they raid his apartment,” he said. “It’s, like, so unfair and such a double — it’s like a double standard like I don’t think anybody’s ever seen before.”
“I don’t know what they’re looking for, what they’re doing. They say it had to do with filings of various papers, lobbying filings,” he added. “It’s a very, very unfair situation. You have to understand Rudy. Rudy loves this country so much. It is so terrible when you see things that are going on in our country, with the corruption and the problems. And then they go after Rudy Giuliani. It’s very sad, actually.”
Trump DOJ blocked warrant:
The Times previously reported that career officials at the Justice Department wanted to serve Giuliani with a warrant last summer but were blocked by Trump appointees who argued that it was too close to the election.
Prosecutors again sought to serve the warrant after the election but Trump appointees again blocked the move, arguing that Giuliani was still representing Trump in his election legal challenges.
