Rudy Giuliani lashed out at the House GOP’s staff lawyer in the impeachment inquiry after the attorney made a subtle move to pin the Ukraine pressure campaign solely on Giuliani.
Towards the end of Wednesday’s morning session, attorney Steve Castor pressed EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland on his communication with Giuliani.
Sondland confirmed that there was “not a lot” of it. Castor tried to push Sondland’s conclusion a step further by adding that former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker testified that Giuliani “was doing his own communications,” implying a separation from the President. Castor seemed to be trying to isolate Giuliani as acting under his own volition after Sondland testified in his opening statement that Giuliani was the conduit for President Donald Trump’s Ukraine desires.
Castor then hammered the nail the rest of the way in.
“You know, granted, Mr. Giuliani had business interests in Ukraine, correct?” Castor asked, quickly adding that Giuliani was involved with “Messrs. Parnas and Fruman” in those business ventures. Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested last month on campaign finance charges.
Castor with line of questioning pinning Ukraine pressure campaign solely on Giuliani pic.twitter.com/UtJd6RpJgQ
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 20, 2019
The implication of the questioning was not lost on the spectating Giuliani.
Republican lawyer doesn’t do his own research and preparation, and is instead picking up Democrat lies, shame.
Allow me to inform him: I have NO financial interests in Ukraine, NONE! I would appreciate his apology.
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 20, 2019
Giuliani is currently under investigation by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York for his business escapades with Parnas and Fruman. Most recently, the Associated Press reported that prosecutors are interviewing an executive at Ukraine’s state-owned gas company, who Parnas and Fruman approached about a business venture, as part of the probe. Giuliani denies any involvement.
