Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who has been subpoenaed by House Democrats as part of their impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, says he sought out Rudy Giuliani last spring at the direction of the president to address concerns about allegations of Ukraine corruption.
In an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal, Perry said during their phone call that Giuliani, the president's personal attorney, told him there had been several concerns that Ukraine had allegedly interfered in the 2016 election. Giuliani has often accused Ukraine of interfering in favor of Democratic contender Hillary Clinton.
However, Perry said he never heard Trump, Giuliani, the Ukraine regime, or any Trump appointees discuss investigating former Vice President Joe Biden or his son Hunter.
Giuliani has confirmed the call with Perry, saying he told him to be careful with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, adding that "everything I said there I probably said on television 50 times."
Perry's conversation with Giuliani came after a meeting in May at the White House after Zelenskiy's inauguration. Several officials at the meeting, including Perry and U.S. Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker, urged Trump to meet with Zelenskiy, but the president said the officials needed to work with Giuliani before he'd agree to the meeting, sources familiar with the matter reported to the Journal.
Perry added that Giuliani didn't make explicit demands when they talked, but instead blamed Ukraine for the dossier about Trump's alleged ties with Russia and claimed Ukraine had Clinton's email server and "dreamed up" the evidence behind the conviction of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
"I don't know whether that was crap or what," Perry said. "I'm just saying there were three things that he said. That's the reason the president doesn't trust these guys."
Giuliani has also met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Volker, and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who is scheduled to testify in the Trump impeachment inquiry proceedings in the House on Thursday.
According to The New York Times, Sondland is also expected to say Trump told him to coordinate with Giuliani on Ukraine.