Today’s big news broke early in the afternoon: Federal law enforcement executed search warrants at Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment and office, with FBI agents seizing electronic devices and other information:
“The searches are a sign that prosecutors are ramping up their investigation into former President Donald Trump’s lawyer.
“Federal prosecutors had what they needed to seek a search warrant late last year, but it was just ‘a matter of timing,’ a source familiar with the investigation said, a comment that suggests the Justice Department might have wanted to wait until the administration changed hands.”
What’s the Justice Department interested in? Simple: Guiliani’s connection to Ukraine and his attempt to help extort dirt about the Bidens to boost Donald Trump’s 2002 reelection campaign:
“Federal investigators have been looking into Giuliani’s dealings with Ukrainian officials. Last December, federal prosecutors discussed whether to make a legal request for Giuliani’s electronic communications. Prosecutors for the Southern District of New York were in contact with Justice Department officials in Washington about gaining access to his emails.”
However, it’s likely that the FBI already had access to all of Rudy’s electronic communications, according to former federal prosecutor Daniel Goldman, who shared his thoughts on Twitter and made it clear that Giuliani is toast:
Goldman also weighed in on the fact that others were also searched on Monday:
Goldman’s take on the search warrants was seconded by Elie Hoenig and Laura Coates, who work as legal analysts for CNN.
Hoenig told CNN:
“This is a big deal. It tells me this investigation is live and ongoing.”
Coates had this to add:
“At this point in time, the next thing to look at is whether or not the former president will try and step in in some way with his counsel and assert some sort of privilege if he believes anything on those documents or devices might implicate him or attorney-client privilege.”
That’s right: Giuliani was working as Trump’s personal attorney at the time, and that means he may have committed crimes on the former president’s behalf. And while Trump may try to suppress some of the information gained from Guiliani’s devices, it gives Rudy a card left to play: He can flip on the Donald and tell what he knows in exchange for leniency. If that happens, Trump is looking at having someone with intimate knowledge of his alleged crimes cooperating with the DOJ. That would spell doom for the ex-president.
The road to justice is often long and winding. But when it meets up with karma and starts visiting those who deserve it most, it makes one hell of a splash.
