You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
Sweat runs down the face of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney to U.S. President Donald Trump, as he speaks about the 2020 U.S. presidential election results during a news conference at Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, U.S., November 19, 2020. Photo by JONATHAN ERNST /REUTERS
Article content
WASHINGTON — The audiotape of a July 2019 phone call shows former U.S. President Donald Trump’s then-lawyer Rudy Giuliani pressuring Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless allegations about Trump’s 2020 election rival Joe Biden, CNN reported on Monday.
Advertisement 2
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
Enjoy additional articles per month.
Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
CNN said it had obtained the audio of the call between Giuliani, U.S. diplomat Kurt Volker, and Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which it said was the precursor of a Trump-Zelenskiy call that was at the center of Trump’s 2019 impeachment.
In the call, Giuliani said he wanted Zelenskiy to say he was putting a prosecutor in charge and “he’s gonna investigate and dig up the evidence, that presently exists and is there any other evidence about involvement of the 2016 election, and then the Biden thing has to be run out,” according to CNN.
Trump, a Republican, denounced as a political witch hunt allegations that he pressed Zelenskiy during a phone call to dig up dirt on Biden. The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump in December 2019, but he was acquitted by the then-Republican-dominated Senate early in 2020.
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Trump lost the 2020 election to Biden, a Democrat, and left office in January 2021.
Yermak told Reuters on Tuesday that Ukraine had done “everything right” to foster relations with Washington and avoid taking sides in U.S. domestic political squabbles.
“And today we can say that the enormous efforts of our team have yielded results, because this year we have an unprecedented level of cooperation with the American administration at all levels,” he said in written comments.
Zelenskiy spoke to Biden by phone on Monday, securing a much coveted White House invitation in July that Yermak said had been one of his objectives.
In April, federal prosecutors investigating Giuliani’s business dealings in Ukraine at the time he was serving as Trump’s lawyer raided his home and office, seizing cell phones and computers.
Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, has not been charged. He said after the raids that his conduct had been “absolutely legal and ethical.”
Giuliani began representing Trump in April 2018 in connection with then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Article content
Share this article in your social network
Share this Story : Giuliani pressed Ukrainians to probe Biden allegations in 2019 call: CNN
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.
This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.