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Giuliani Represented Venezuelan Investor in Discussion With Justice Dept. Giuliani Represented Venezuelan Investor in Discussion With Justice Dept.
(about 4 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, represented a wealthy Venezuelan businessman in a discussion with the Justice Department about heading off charges against the businessman in a money laundering and bribery case.WASHINGTON — Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, represented a wealthy Venezuelan businessman in a discussion with the Justice Department about heading off charges against the businessman in a money laundering and bribery case.
Mr. Giuliani was part of a team of lawyers brought in to represent the Venezuelan, Alejandro Betancourt López, in discussions with Justice Department officials, according to people familiar with the representation.Mr. Giuliani was part of a team of lawyers brought in to represent the Venezuelan, Alejandro Betancourt López, in discussions with Justice Department officials, according to people familiar with the representation.
They said Mr. Giuliani and at least one other lawyer traveled to Spain to meet with Mr. Betancourt in August, prepared a presentation making the case for why Mr. Betancourt should not be charged, then delivered it to top lawyers in the Justice Department’s criminal division during a meeting in Washington on Sept. 3.They said Mr. Giuliani and at least one other lawyer traveled to Spain to meet with Mr. Betancourt in August, prepared a presentation making the case for why Mr. Betancourt should not be charged, then delivered it to top lawyers in the Justice Department’s criminal division during a meeting in Washington on Sept. 3.
The representation, which was first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday, is another example of Mr. Giuliani pursuing business around the world with clients who have interests before the United States government, even as he continues to represent Mr. Trump. It also highlights the ways in which Mr. Giuliani mixed his private business with the Ukrainian pressure campaign that is at the heart of the congressional impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump, and a separate investigation by prosecutors in Manhattan into whether Mr. Giuliani violated lobbying laws.The representation, which was first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday, is another example of Mr. Giuliani pursuing business around the world with clients who have interests before the United States government, even as he continues to represent Mr. Trump. It also highlights the ways in which Mr. Giuliani mixed his private business with the Ukrainian pressure campaign that is at the heart of the congressional impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump, and a separate investigation by prosecutors in Manhattan into whether Mr. Giuliani violated lobbying laws.
During Mr. Giuliani’s trip to Spain, he stayed at Mr. Betancourt’s estate outside Madrid along with two Soviet-born associates who assisted Mr. Giuliani in his effort to pressure the Ukrainian government to pursue investigations sought by Mr. Trump.During Mr. Giuliani’s trip to Spain, he stayed at Mr. Betancourt’s estate outside Madrid along with two Soviet-born associates who assisted Mr. Giuliani in his effort to pressure the Ukrainian government to pursue investigations sought by Mr. Trump.
Mr. Giuliani and the associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, traveled to Madrid for a day during the trip to meet with a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.Mr. Giuliani and the associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, traveled to Madrid for a day during the trip to meet with a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
In the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times, Mr. Giuliani urged Mr. Zelensky’s aide to pursue the investigations sought by Mr. Trump into former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and whether Ukrainians sought to damage Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign. Mr. Giuliani also discussed the prospect of Mr. Zelensky securing a White House meeting with Mr. Trump.In the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times, Mr. Giuliani urged Mr. Zelensky’s aide to pursue the investigations sought by Mr. Trump into former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and whether Ukrainians sought to damage Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign. Mr. Giuliani also discussed the prospect of Mr. Zelensky securing a White House meeting with Mr. Trump.
It does not appear as if the Ukraine work was related to Mr. Giuliani’s representation of Mr. Betancourt.It does not appear as if the Ukraine work was related to Mr. Giuliani’s representation of Mr. Betancourt.
Mr. Betancourt did not respond to messages seeking comment.Mr. Betancourt did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Mr. Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert J. Costello, said in a statement that “it would be improper for Mr. Giuliani to comment on whether anyone is or is not a legal client of Mr. Giuliani.”Mr. Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert J. Costello, said in a statement that “it would be improper for Mr. Giuliani to comment on whether anyone is or is not a legal client of Mr. Giuliani.”
“Therefore,” he continued, “Mr. Giuliani will not comment one way or the other.”“Therefore,” he continued, “Mr. Giuliani will not comment one way or the other.”
Mr. Betancourt has not been charged with any crime, but The Miami Herald reported this month that he was among the unnamed Venezuelans identified as conspirators in a criminal complaint filed in Miami detailing an embezzlement and bribery scheme that siphoned $1.2 billion from the country’s government-owned oil company.Mr. Betancourt has not been charged with any crime, but The Miami Herald reported this month that he was among the unnamed Venezuelans identified as conspirators in a criminal complaint filed in Miami detailing an embezzlement and bribery scheme that siphoned $1.2 billion from the country’s government-owned oil company.
Jon Sale, Mr. Betancourt’s Miami-based lawyer, said his client denied any wrongdoing.Jon Sale, Mr. Betancourt’s Miami-based lawyer, said his client denied any wrongdoing.
Mr. Sale declined to comment further on the case, or on Mr. Giuliani’s involvement in it.Mr. Sale declined to comment further on the case, or on Mr. Giuliani’s involvement in it.
Mr. Sale and another lawyer who has represented Mr. Betancourt, Frank H. Wohl, worked with Mr. Giuliani as federal prosecutors in Manhattan in the 1970s.Mr. Sale and another lawyer who has represented Mr. Betancourt, Frank H. Wohl, worked with Mr. Giuliani as federal prosecutors in Manhattan in the 1970s.
Mr. Wohl, Mr. Sale and Mr. Giuliani were among the lawyers who represented Mr. Betancourt in the Sept. 3 meeting in Washington with lawyers from the Justice Department, including Brian A. Benczkowski, the assistant attorney general in charge of the department’s Criminal Division.Mr. Wohl, Mr. Sale and Mr. Giuliani were among the lawyers who represented Mr. Betancourt in the Sept. 3 meeting in Washington with lawyers from the Justice Department, including Brian A. Benczkowski, the assistant attorney general in charge of the department’s Criminal Division.
After that meeting, which was first reported by The Times, a Justice Department spokesman issued a statement saying that Mr. Benczkowski and the other department lawyers would not have met with Mr. Giuliani had they known that Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman were under investigation by prosecutors in Manhattan.After that meeting, which was first reported by The Times, a Justice Department spokesman issued a statement saying that Mr. Benczkowski and the other department lawyers would not have met with Mr. Giuliani had they known that Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman were under investigation by prosecutors in Manhattan.
Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman were arrested last month on campaign finance charges, in a case that is linked to the investigation of Mr. Giuliani.Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman were arrested last month on campaign finance charges, in a case that is linked to the investigation of Mr. Giuliani.
Mr. Giuliani has complained that the scrutiny of him has hurt his business.Mr. Giuliani has complained that the scrutiny of him has hurt his business.
“The damage that it does to your practice is pretty damn bad,” he said in an interview this month, “because people don’t want to be your client. They think they’re going to get investigated for every stupid little thing that somebody can find to ask a question about. People come to me because they like confidentiality.”“The damage that it does to your practice is pretty damn bad,” he said in an interview this month, “because people don’t want to be your client. They think they’re going to get investigated for every stupid little thing that somebody can find to ask a question about. People come to me because they like confidentiality.”
Kenneth P. Vogel reported from Washington, and Ben Protess from New York.