Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney of President Donald Trump, has refused to comply with a subpoena from House Democrats for documents related to his work in Ukraine.
Giuliani's business dealings have reportedly come under the scrutiny of federal prosecutors, while two of his associates were arrested last week on campaign finance charges. He has emerged as a key player in the impeachment proceedings against his client amid allegations that he has run a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine. “Saying no one is above the law,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an official impeachment inquiry against the president after it was revealed that he had solicited Ukraine to dog up dirt on one of his chief rivals as he pursues a re-election bid in 2020.
In a letter to House investigators, Giuliano’s attorney said that his client "will not participate, because this appears to be an unconstitutional, baseless and illegitimate 'impeachment inquiry.'" He further claimed that the subpoena was "overbroad, unduly burdensome, and seeks documents beyond the scope of legitimate inquiry."
On Twitter, Giuliani use a similar line:
"I will not participate in an illegitimate, unconstitutional, and baseless “impeachment inquiry.’
”Jon Sale, who is a lifelong friend, has represented me for the sole purpose of analyzing the request and responding. At this time, I do not need a lawyer."
An official working on the impeachment inquiry told NBC News that “witnesses do not get to choose whether to comply with a duly-authorized subpoena, or to pick their investigators — not in the justice system, not in the Congress, and not in our democracy."
"If Rudy Giuliani and the president truly have nothing to hide about their actions, Giuliani will comply — otherwise, we will be forced to consider this as additional evidence of obstruction and may infer that the evidence withheld would substantiate the accusations of President Trump’s misconduct and efforts to cover it up," the official continued. "Nobody is above the law — not a president and not his shadow envoy to Ukraine."
The White House's Office of Management and Budget has also declined to comply with the investigation and defied a congressional subpoena, according to ABC News.
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