US investigators raid Giuliani's apartment

Federal investigators executed a search warrant against former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, according to media reports Wednesday.

The move is a major development in long-running investigations into Giuliani. The probe concerns his business dealings while working as former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer.

What we know so far

The New York Times and the Associated Press reported on the raid, citing law enforcement officials.

Federal investigators carried out a search warrant on Giuliani's apartment in Manhattan.

Authorities seized electronic devices from the property, according to the New York Times.

It was unclear what devices were taken.

How did Giuliani respond?

In a statement, Guiliani's lawyer confirmed that a search had taken place.

The lawyer, Bob Costello, added that the seized electronics contained information that was covered by attorney-client privilege.

He added that his client denies accusations he engaged in illegal lobbying.

"The search warrants involve only one indication of an alleged incident of failure to register as a foreign agent," Costello said.

How is the raid significant?

The search warrant and seizure of electronic devices are a major turning point in the probes against Giuliani — and could have an impact on former President Trump.

The New York Times and other media outlets pointed out that although the search warrant doesn't indicate that Giuliani committed a crime, it shows that investigators convinced a judge that a criminal act may have occurred, and that a warrant could help retrieve further evidence.

Executing a search warrant against a lawyer is a move not taken lightly.

"It's a big deal to execute a search warrant concerning an attorney because of issues of attorney-client privilege," Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles told Reuters news agency.

"It's a bigger deal to execute a search warrant of an attorney who worked for the former president," she added.

What is Giuliani accused of?

The full scope of the Justice Department case against Giuliani isn't clear — although it broadly involves his business dealings abroad, and particularly in Ukraine.

According to the New York Times, federal prosecutors are trying to determine whether Giuliani engaged in illegal lobby work for the benefit of Ukrainian officials in 2019.

Giuliani, in a statement, denied allegations of illegal lobbying. 

How is Giuliani linked with the Trump administration and Ukraine?

The Ukrainian officials were helping Giuliani at the time to uncover dirt against Trump's then-rival Joe Biden as well as Biden's son Hunter.

The multi-year investigation has already led to two former associates of Giuliani, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, being charged with campaign finance violations and other crimes.

The two men helped Giuliani uncover damaging information on Trump's political rival ahead of the 2020 election — as well as take part in a scheme to remove Marie Yovanovitch from her post as the US Ambassador to Ukraine. The latter issue was central in the first round of impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Last year, a bid by federal prosecutors to secure a search warrant against Giuliani was denied by the Justice Department under the Trump administration.

The warrant request was expected to be reconsidered after President Biden's Attorney General pick, Merrick Garland, assumed office last month.

rs/sms (Reuters, AP)