NEW YORK (AP) — Federal agents raided Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan home and office yesterday. Authorities seized computers and cellphones in a major escalation of the Justice Department’s investigation into the business dealings of former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
Giuliani, the 76-year-old former New York City mayor once celebrated for his leadership after 9/11, has been under federal scrutiny for several years over his ties to Ukraine. The dual searches sent the strongest signal yet that he could eventually face federal charges.
People familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press agents searched Giuliani’s Madison Avenue apartment and Park Avenue office. The warrants, which required approval from the top levels of the Justice Department, signify that prosecutors believe they have probable cause that Giuliani committed a federal crime — though they do not guarantee that charges will materialize.
A third search warrant was served on a phone belonging to Washington lawyer Victoria Toensing, a former federal prosecutor and close ally of Giuliani and Trump. Her law firm issued a statement saying she was informed that she is not a target of the investigation.
The full scope of the investigation is unclear, but law officials have told the AP it at least partly involves Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine.
Photo: FILE – In this Nov. 19, 2020, file photo, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington. Federal agents raided Giuliani’s Manhattan home and office on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, seizing computers and cellphones in a major escalation of the Justice Department’s investigation into the business dealings of former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
