Rudy Giuliani subpoenaed by federal prosecutors - source
FORMER New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who helped to amplify former president Donald Trump’s false claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election, has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors seeking documents about payments he received from Trump or his presidential campaign, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The subpoena, which was issued in November, also asks Mr Giuliani to provide testimony, said the person, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.
The nature of the inquiry by the US attorney in Washington D.C., which began before Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed to oversee investigations into Mr Trump, remains largely under wraps.
The former mayor, who has served as Mr Trump’s personal attorney, did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment.
A spokeswoman for the US Attorney for the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The source said the subpoena sought, among other things, copies of any retainer agreements between Mr Trump and Mr Giuliani, or the Trump campaign and Mr Giuliani, and records of payments and who made those payments.
In December, a District of Columbia attorney ethics committee said Mr Giuliani violated at least one attorney ethics rule in his work on a failed lawsuit by Mr Trump challenging the 2020 election results.
Mr Giuliani’s New York state law license was suspended in June 2021 after a state appeals court found he had made “demonstrably false and misleading” statements that widespread voter fraud undermined the 2020 election won by his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden.