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Prosecutors have reportedly asked for permission to search Rudy Giuliani’s data. Trump’s officials said no.
Career federal prosecutors in Manhattan tried repeatedly last year to get permission to search Rudy Giuliani’s electronic files, and each time they were turned down by senior officials from the Department of Justice, CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported Wednesday. Justice Department officials, appointed by former President Donald Trump, reportedly cited several reasons, including the troublesome difficulties in obtaining a search warrant for the incumbent president’s personal attorney. Giuliani has been under investigation since 2019, when two of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were arrested on campaign financing charges. By the summer of 2020, prosecutors in Manhattan believed they had a likely cause for an order to search Giuliani’s messages, relatively certain to find evidence of a crime, the Post and Times report. Getting search warrants for a lawyer, let alone the president’s attorneys, required permission from Washington. Trump-appointed individuals turned it down, the Post reports, with “several explanations as to why.” “While Justice Department officials in Washington largely supported the search warrant, senior officials expressed concern that the warrant would be issued too shortly before the election,” within the 60 days that have been blocked against potential electoral activity, the Times reports. Manhattan prosecutors noted to Washington officials that they initially put forward the idea in the summer before the close of 60 days, but they tried again after the election – and were again rejected. Officials in the Deputy Attorney General’s office reportedly argued that Trump – and Giuliani – are still disputing Trump’s loss to President Biden. Career Justice Department officials “noted that even amidst Trump’s post-election challenges, department leaders agreed to issue a subpoena and take other steps in another politically sensitive investigation: that of Biden’s son Hunter” , the Post reports. “Ultimately, senior officials in Washington proposed postponing a decision on the subpoena until the Biden administration took over,” the Times reports. “It’s unclear whether the prosecutors have been ordered since Mr. Biden was sworn in.” The Justice Department and the Manhattan US attorney declined to comment on the reports, and Giuliani attorney Robert Costello told CNN there was no reach of federal prosecutors and told the Times he would not comment “on media speculation. “. More stories from theweek.com The key person in the impeachment trial is missing. It’s not Trump. 5 Brutally Funny Cartoons About Republicans’ Twisted Logic Could The Capitol Crowd Have Killed Mike Pence?