Federal investigators looking into Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani’s foreign financial entanglements are also looking into counterintelligence issues that may have grown out of those business ventures, USA Today was first to report.
New York attorney Kenneth McCallion told USA Today and CNN Wednesday that he was approached by federal investigators earlier this year to ask about Giuliani’s connections to Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the two men indicted last week on campaign finance violation charges. McCallion, who has had clients in Ukraine, said he was approached again this spring and questioned about Giuliani’s business dealings again by FBI counterintelligence agents.
“I was just asked whether I or any of my clients knew of any dealings that these two guys had with Giuliani,” McCallion told CNN. “They were on the radar with regard to possible counterintelligence issues.”
A person briefed on the matter told CNN that the counterintelligence portion of the probe focuses on whether foreigners tried to use Giuliani’s business ties in Ukraine to influence the White House.
Giuliani has maintained that he is not aware that he is under criminal investigation. The two associates were also reportedly involved in Giuliani’s effort to pressure Ukrainian officials to dig up dirt that would benefit President Trump politically.
