Ex-Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s home and office raided by US investigators
- The former New York mayor has been under investigation for several years over his business dealings in Ukraine
- Giuliani was central to Trump’s efforts to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and to press Ukraine for an investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter
US federal agents raided Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan home and office on Wednesday, seizing computers and mobile phones 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 mayor once celebrated for his leadership after the September 11 attacks, 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.
Agents searched Giuliani’s Madison Avenue apartment and Park Avenue office, people familiar with the investigation said.
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 materialise.
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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.