Giuliani lawyers up amid impeachment inquiry

Rudy Giuliani has announced a new legal team as he faces increasing scrutiny in House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

Giuliani, who represents Trump as his personal attorney, said in a series of tweets that he had hired his own personal counsel. Giuliani is represented by Robert Costello, Eric Creizman and Melissa Madrigal.

Costello was mentioned in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election as having a “back channel of communication” with Giuliani.

{mosads}Giuliani has been at the center of the scandal surrounding the Trump administration’s policy in Ukraine. House Democrats in September launched an impeachment inquiry into allegations that Trump abused his office by pressuring Kiev to investigate his domestic political rivals.

Giuliani has admitted to searching for damaging information on Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, but insisted he was focused on rooting out corruption.

“The investigation I conducted concerning 2016 Ukrainian collusion and corruption, was done solely as a defense attorney to defend my client against false charges, that kept changing as one after another were disproven,” Giuliani tweeted Wednesday, the same day Democratic lawmakers announced the first public impeachment hearings, set for next week.

The evidence, when revealed fully, will show that this present farce is as much a frame-up and hoax as Russian collusion, maybe worse, and will prove the President is innocent.

— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 6, 2019

House Democrats this week released transcripts of closed-door testimony from several current and former administration officials. Each individual describes Giuliani as serving as a second channel for implementing Ukraine policy, and multiple witnesses said Trump directed them to coordinate with Giuliani.

 “I think the origin of the idea to get [Ukrainian] President Zelensky to say out loud he’s going to investigate [Ukrainian firm] Burisma and 2016 election, I think the originator, the person who came up with that was Mr. Giuliani,” said diplomat Bill Taylor, according to a transcript of his testimony that was released Wednesday.

Former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told lawmakers that she was the target of a campaign led by Giuliani to oust her from her position. She was recalled from her post earlier this year.

House lawmakers subpoenaed Giuiliani last month for documents as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry. Giuliani said he would not comply.

The former New York mayor faces mounting legal jeopardy outside the impeachment inquiry as well. Two of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were arrested last month for campaign finance law violations, and Giuliani is reportedly the target of an investigation himself.

Trump has stood by Giuliani thus far, defending him as a great “crime fighter” who is focused on corruption.