DOJ executes a search warrant Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment

Rudy raided! DOJ searches Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment and ‘seizes electronic devices’ over his dealings with Ukraine while he was Trump’s lawyer

  • Federal investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday on Rudy Giuliani’s New York City apartment 
  • Giuliani’s phone seized during the raid
  • Feds are looking into Giuliani’s work lobbying for Ukraine while he was Donald Trump’s personal attorney
  • Giuliani also was working with Ukrainian officials to get political dirt on Bidens 

Federal investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday on Rudy Giuliani‘s New York City apartment, stepping up their investigation of his dealings in the Ukraine.

Giuliani’s electronic devices were seized in the raid, The New York Times reported, citing information from the investigators. 

The investigation centers on whether Giuliani, who was Donald Trump‘s personal attorney, lobbied the Trump administration in 2019 on behalf of Ukrainian officials and oligarchs – the same group of people who were helping Giuliani search for dirt on Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who sat on the board of Ukrainian gas company, during the 2020 election.

The move indicates the investigation of the former New York City mayor has entered an aggressive new phase.   

To obtain the search warrant, investigators would need to convince a judge they had sufficient reason to believe that a crime was committed and the search would turn up evidence of that.

It does not mean an indication of guilt.  

Federal investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday on Rudy Giuliani’s New York City apartment

Rudy Giuliani's apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan

Rudy Giuliani’s apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan

The United States Attorney’s office in Manhattan and the FBI had wanted to execute the warrant on Giuliani’s Upper East Side pad for months but had been stymied by the political leadership put in place at the Justice Department by President Trump. 

But after Merrick Garland was confirmed as President Biden’s attorney general, the Justice Department lifted its objection to the search. 

Biden vowed to have an independent Justice Department and said he would not interfere in its work. 

‘Here we go folks,’ tweeted Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who was also subject of a federal raid.

The Giuliani investigation grew out of a federal investigation of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who worked on gathering information about the Bidens during the election.

The two Soviet-born men were charged with federal campaign finance violations.

The two, who have pleaded not guilty, were arrested at an airport outside Washington carrying one-way tickets to Europe. 

Pictured: Lev Parnas

Pictured: Igor Fruman

The Giuliani investigation grew out of a federal investigation of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who worked on gathering information about the Bidens during the election and were charged with violating the ban on political donations by foreign nationals in October 2019

Investigators are also looking into Giuliani's role in the ousting of US Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was a prominent witness in Trump's first impeachment trial

Investigators are also looking into Giuliani’s role in the ousting of US Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was a prominent witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial 

Investigators are also looking into Giuliani’s role in the ousting of US Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was a prominent witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial.

As Giuliani was pushing Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation of the Bidens, he was pushed to have Yovanovitch removed, seeing her as an obstacle to his efforts.

At Giuliani’s urging, Trump had her recalled.  

Prosecutors are examining whether Giuliani was working not only for Trump, but also for Ukrainian officials or businesses who wanted Yovanovitch dismissed for their own reasons, The Times reported. 

Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, it is a federal crime to try to influence or lobby the US government at the request or direction of a foreign official without disclosing it to the Justice Department.