‘Dig Up the Evidence’: Audio From 2019 Call Shows Giuliani Piling Pressure on Ukraine
‘THE BIDEN THING’
Rudy Giuliani can be heard attempting to pile pressure on top Ukrainian officials to launch an investigation into baseless allegations about Joe Biden in audio from a 2019 call released by CNN Monday. The call—which came ahead of Donald Trump’s notorious chat with President Volodymyr Zelensky and led to his first impeachment—was between Giuliani, U.S. diplomat Kurt Volker, and Zelensky adviser Andriy Yermak. In the most damning section, Giuliani can be heard saying: “All we need from the President [Zelensky] is to say, ‘I’m gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, he’s gonna investigate and dig up the evidence, that presently exists’ and is there any other evidence about involvement of the 2016 election, and then the Biden thing has to be run out.” Giuliani said that, if the Ukrainians caved to his demands, it would “clear the air really well” and “could be a good thing for having a much better relationship.” Giuliani is under investigation over claims that he violated foreign lobbying laws in his efforts to dig up dirt about the Biden family.