Giuliani refuses to comply with congressional subpoena, calls inquiry 'a joke'
President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday he is refusing to comply with a subpoena from Congress.
Giuliani, who was subpoenaed for documents related to his communications with Ukraine as part of the House's impeachment inquiry, told ABC News he won't provide them.
"If they enforce it then we will see what happens," Giuliani said of the subpoena. He also revealed to ABC News that he is no longer being represented by attorney Jon Sale, whose hiring he announced two weeks ago. Sale told BuzzFeed News' Zoe Tillman he was always planning to only help Giuliani respond to this subpoena.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tuesday was the deadline for Giuliani to comply with the subpoena. In a letter late last month, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) cited the whistleblower complaint alleging Trump abused his power in an attempt to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, as well as Giuliani having admitted he asked Ukraine to do so.
"I consider their inquiry to be a joke," Giuliani told The New York Daily News Tuesday, calling it an "an abomination of due process."
Sale in a letter to Congress says Giuliani "will not participate because this appears to be an unconstitutional, baseless, and illegitimate 'impeachment inquiry'" and because the subpoena is "overbroad, unduly burdensome" and seeks documents that are "protected by attorney-client, attorney work-product, and executive privileges."
CNN reports people close to Giuliani have been urging him to hire a criminal lawyer, but Giuliani, in reference to no longer being represented by Sale, told the Daily News it's "silly to have a lawyer when I don't need one."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Brazil's war on illicit hot air balloons
Under the Radar Secret 'baloeiros' fly flamboyantly colourful creations over Rio's favelas, despite nationwide ban
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Putin says Russia isn't weakened by Syria setback
Speed Read Russia had been one of the key backers of Syria's ousted Assad regime
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Georgia DA Fani Willis removed from Trump case
Speed Read Willis had been prosecuting the election interference case against the president-elect
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats blame 'President Musk' for looming shutdown
Speed Read The House of Representatives rejected a spending package that would've funding the government into 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdown
Speed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorism
Speed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about Bidens
Speed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
South Korea impeaches president, eyes charges
Speed Read Yoon Suk Yeol faces investigations on potential insurrection and abuse of power charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published