President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani just can’t stop making things worse for his client and himself. A federal judge ordered the State Department to release records on Giuliani and on any efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden, according to American Oversight.
The move by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who is handling the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the left-leaning government watchdog group American Oversight, comes as controversy over impeachment grips Washington, D.C.
Cooper said during a Wednesday hearing, the State Department would have to start handing over documents related to Giuliani’s communications with the State Department within 30 days, although he hasn’t issued his formal order yet.
The documents shed light on the internal actions of the State Department at a time when the Democrat-led House is conducting much of its secretive impeachment proceeding behind closed doors, with only selective leaks of marathon testimony from the key players in the Ukraine saga.
The watchdog group requested any emails, texts, or discussions about Giuliani’s months-long mission to push Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden’s $50,000 per month position on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, as well as Joe Biden’s role in the firing of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin.
Its lawsuit earlier this month also demanded information on what role numerous State Department officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr, may have played in the effort to pressure Ukraine to take up investigations related to the Bidens.
In the controversial July 25 phone call, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a “favor,” which was to look into a CrowdStrike conspiracy theory and alleged Ukrainian involvement in the 2016 election, immediately after Zelensky expressed interest in purchasing anti-tank weaponry known as Javelins from the United States. Trump urged Zelensky later in the call to investigate “the other thing,” referring to allegations of corruption related to the Bidens. During the call, Trump urged Zelensky to speak with both Giuliani and with Attorney General William Barr.
RELATED: Bill Barr Is ‘Obligated To Recuse Himself’ From Ukraine Probe Or Be ‘Removed’: NYC Bar Association.
