Amid Impeachment Vote, Giuliani Visits White House

Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney, turned up at the White House on Friday just moments after the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Giuliani has been deeply involved in the Ukraine dealings at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.

Giuliani was expected to meet with Trump, who requested a briefing from the former New York City mayor on his recent trip to Ukraine. Trump has also urged Giuliani to inform the Justice Department and Republican senators on what he discovered.

Giuliani’s trip last week prompted concern from many White House officials, some of whom blame the lawyer for ensnaring Trump in the Ukraine affair that has led to articles of impeachment. Giuliani told The Associated Press this week that he was preparing a report but would not reveal its contents.

As special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation wound down earlier this year, Giuliani began pushing the belief — previously held only on the fringes of the conservative movement — that Ukraine may have also attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. There is no evidence that happened.

The former mayor also wanted to bring attention to the work that former Vice President Joe Biden ’s son Hunter did in Ukraine and urged Trump to demand Kiev investigate his political foe. That pressure was at the heart of the articles of impeachment expected to be voted upon by the House of Representatives next week.

Even as impeachment swirled, Giuliani stunned Washington by traveling to Ukraine this month to further his probe. The surprise journey drew condemnation from Democrats and some scorn from Republicans and White House aides, many of whom believed the sojourn to Kiev drew unwanted scrutiny ahead of the impeachment vote. Trump, though, appeared to praise the trip when talking to reporters in recent days.

“He says he has a lot of good information,” Trump said Saturday. “I hear he has found plenty.”