Federal agents executed a search warrant at the New York City apartment of Rudy Giuliani as part of their investigation into his dealings in Ukraine. According to the New York Times, investigators seized electronic devices during the search.
Federal authorities are investigating whether Giuliani, who served as the personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump, illegally lobbied the government on behalf of Ukrainian officials. They are also looking at Giuliani's role in the removal of ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who he believed was blocking his efforts to have Ukraine launch a corruption investigation into then-candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, prior to the 2020 presidential election.
The Foreign Agents Registration Act requires anybody who tries to influence or lobby the United States government at the request of a foreign official must register with the Department of Justice. Failure to do so is a federal crime and can be punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000. Some violations of the law are considered misdemeanors, which carry a penalty of no more than six months behind bars and a fine of no more than $5,000.
The FBI and U.S. attorney's office have not commented on the raid at Giuliani's Upper East Side apartment.
This is the second time that federal agents have served a search warrant against a lawyer who worked for former President Trump. In October 2018, agents raided the office and hotel room of Michael Cohen during their investigation into hush-money payments made to two porn stars who claimed they had affairs with Trump.
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