SCOOP: Months after he abandoned a trip to Ukraine to urge the new government to investigate TRUMP's rivals, @RudyGiuliani began secretly talking to a close aide to the new Ukrainian president (including at a meeting in Madrid) to push the investigations. nytimes.com/2019/08/21/us/…
@RudyGiuliani NEW: The @StateDept helped initiate talks between RUDY GIULIANI & a Ukrainian official, during which Rudy urged investigation of @JoeBiden & his son.
Rudy briefed @StateDept on the talks.
@StateDept didn't respond to questions about its role or Rudy's.
nytimes.com/2019/08/21/us/…
Rudy briefed @StateDept on the talks.
@StateDept didn't respond to questions about its role or Rudy's.
nytimes.com/2019/08/21/us/…
@RudyGiuliani @StateDept @JoeBiden RUDY GIULIANI's latest efforts further blur the lines between his private business around the world, his work as TRUMP's lawyer & his self-professed "meddling" in Ukrainian affairs to try to help Trump politically. nytimes.com/2019/08/21/us/…
IT'S A TOUGH SPOT FOR UKRAINE:
—If they investigate @JoeBiden, they upset Dems.
—If they drop it, they upset TRUMP.
And RUDY GIULIANI's efforts are a complicating factor.
But he says Ukraine is "going to piss off somebody, so you might as well make the right decision, right?”
—If they investigate @JoeBiden, they upset Dems.
—If they drop it, they upset TRUMP.
And RUDY GIULIANI's efforts are a complicating factor.
But he says Ukraine is "going to piss off somebody, so you might as well make the right decision, right?”
AND DEMOCRATS ARE ALSO LOBBYING UKRAINE: Staff for @StenyHoyer during a Capitol Hill meeting last month urged a top adviser to the new Ukrainian president not to engage with RUDY GIULIANI on investigations into the BIDENS or other U.S. political issues. nytimes.com/2019/08/21/us/…
HOYER's team says it was merely reinforcing a message @StenyHoyer sent to the outgoing Ukrainian president in May, warning that any collaboration with RUDY GIULIANI to influence U.S. politics "risks severely jeopardizing support for Ukraine in Congress." documentcloud.org/documents/6306…
@StenyHoyer JUST IN: The @StateDept, which facilitated @RudyGiuliani's communications with the Ukrainian gov't (during which he urged an investigation of @JoeBiden), says Giuliani "acts in a personal capacity as a lawyer for President TRUMP. He does not speak on behalf of the US Government." 
