President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has hired former Watergate prosecutor Jon Sale to represent him in the congressional impeachment inquiry, he confirmed on Oct. 1.
The Florida-based attorney at Nelson Mullins and former assistant U.S. attorney will represent Giuliani as he battles allegations that he and Trump pressured Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter in a July 25 phone call.
“I’ve just gotten involved,” he told the news outlet. “It’s very complex. We’re just starting to analyze what position we should take.”
He added that he and Giuliani will continue to represent Trump amid the congressional investigation, but refused to comment on whether Giuliani is paying him, reported Politico.
The move came after Democrats on Sept. 30 subpoenaed Giuliani concerning the White House’s interactions with Ukraine.
Giuliani was informed of the subpoena in a letter penned by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).
The letter asked the former mayor of New York City to provide evidence linked to his interaction with the Ukrainian government by Oct. 15.
In response to the subpoena, Giuliani accused Schiff, Engel and Cummings of having “prejudged this case.”
“It raises significant issues concerning legitimacy and constitutional and legal issues including inter alia, attorney-client, and other privileges. It will be given appropriate consideration,” Giuliani said.
Trump also told Zelensky during the call that he would have Giuliani speak to him via phone, the transcript said. According to Zelensky, he never talked to him on the phone.
On Oct. 1, Trump said that “almost everything” the person who filed the complaint against him about the phone call is wrong.
“So if the so-called ‘Whistleblower’ has all secondhand information, and almost everything he has said about my ‘perfect’ call with the Ukrainian President is wrong (much to the embarrassment of Pelosi & Schiff), why aren’t we entitled to interview & learn everything about the Whistleblower, and also the person who gave all of the false information to him,” Trump said in a statement.
“This is simply about a phone conversation that could not have been nicer, warmer, or better. No pressure at all (as confirmed by Ukrainian Pres.). It is just another Democrat Hoax!”
“I want to tell you that I never feel any pressure and there are very many people in the West and in Ukraine who would like to influence me,” Zelensky said.
“But I am a president of independent Ukraine, and I think that, and I hope my steps demonstrate this, that it is impossible to influence me.”
