Former Federal Prosecutor: Barr’s Warning to Trump About Giuliani May Be ‘Wink and Nod’ About Coming Indictment
by Jerry Lambe
Attorney General William Barr has reportedly cautioned President Donald Trump on multiple occasions that he is “not being well served” by his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, advising the President that the former New York City Mayor has become a liability for the administration. According to one former federal prosecutor, Barr, who oversees the U.S. Attorney’s office currently investigating Giuliani on multiple fronts, may be attempting to warn the White House about Giuliani’s dire legal straits.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) have issued subpoenas to Giuliani’s business and professional associates which illustrate a “very specific, and very long list of serious crimes,” such as money laundering, obstruction of justice and campaign-finance violations.
Speaking to a federal judge presiding over the criminal case against recently indicted Giuliani business associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Zolkind last week further portended bad news for Giuliani, telling the court that a superseding indictment in the case was “likely.”
Appearing on CNN Monday morning, former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York Elie Honig said that Barr counseling Trump about Giuliani presented a conflict of interest. He wondered if Barr was attempting to tip the president off.
“Why is Bill Barr personally advising Donald Trump, ‘You need to keep your distance from Rudy.’ Bill Barr is the AG, not personal attorney to the president. Is he tipping the president off?” Honig asked.
Honig also remarked Monday on Twitter about the conflict of interest.
“Barr oversees SDNY which is investigating Rudy [Giuliani],” he wrote. “Is this a wink-and-nod way of telling Trump to steer clear?”
CNN legal analyst, attorney and impeachment expert Ross Garber also commented on the White House’s Giuliani problem, saying Giuliani’s ambiguously defined role has only made things worse.
[image via Ed Zurga/Getty Images]