This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On October 1, 2019, the House of Representatives issued a subpoena to Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's lawyer, for records related to Ukraine, as part of their impeachment inquiry.
Giuliani's involvement in Ukraine has been a subject of scrutiny, particularly after it was revealed that two of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, are executives of an energy company that donated $325,000 to a pro-Trump 'super PAC' in 2018, prompting a Federal Election Commission complaint.
Giuliani has been accused of violating campaign finance laws, and the House has given him two weeks to comply with the subpoena, until October 15, 2019. Failure to comply could be used as evidence of obstruction of Congress.
Giuliani has denied any wrongdoing, and has stated that he has not chosen a lawyer to represent him in this matter. He has also accused Democrats of issuing an overly broad request, comparing it to the McCarthy hearings.
Meanwhile, Democratic investigators are moving quickly, buoyed by new national polls that suggest a majority of the public supports their work. They have reached a deal to privately meet with the whistle-blower, scheduled depositions with State Department officials, and plan to hold a closed hearing with the intelligence community inspector general.
