Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:32 pm
A new audiotape reveals that Rudy Giuliani not only pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden but also promised better diplomatic relations if they did.
CNN got the audio and reported:
The audio is of a July 2019 phone call between Giuliani, US diplomat Kurt Volker, and Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The call was a precursor to Trump’s infamous call with Zelensky, and both conversations later became a central part of Trump’s first impeachment, where he was accused of soliciting Ukrainian help for his campaign.
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Over and over, Giuliani pressed for the investigations, according to the audio recording. Giuliani even said the US-Ukraine diplomatic relationship would improve if Zelensky launched the probes. Giuliani and Volker suggested during the call that a public announcement could clear the way for Zelensky’s much-desired visit to the US, or for in-person meetings with Giuliani.
Giuliani is already under federal investigation for the plot to use Ukraine to get Joe Biden, which is a different investigation from the one that is looking at Giuliani’s potentially illegal financial dealings.
Prosecutors just got even more evidence that Giuliani violated the law while trying to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
Promising better diplomatic relations to a foreign country in exchange for an investigation into a political opponent is a crime. The odds are that Rudy Giuliani was not freelancing on his own. Trump and Giuliani potentially were selling US diplomacy for political favors.
Prosecutors may have enough evidence to lock Rudy Giuliani up already, but if they didn’t, the audiotape is damning and worth a prison sentence on its own.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
