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Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is leading Trump’s unfounded legal battle to subvert Joe Biden’s election victory, vehemently denies discussing pardons with the president.
Rudy Giuliani rejected a report Tuesday that he recently asked President Donald Trump to grant him a preventive pardon, claiming he never made such a request.
The New York Times, citing two anonymous sources, it reported that Giuliani and Trump spoke about the possible pardon last week. The controversial topic also came up in previous conversations between the two men, according to the report.
But Giuliani, who is leading Trump’s unfounded legal battle to subvert Joe Biden’s election victory, vehemently denied discussing pardons with the president.
“It’s not true at all,” he said in a text message.
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Giuliani’s lawyer and friend Robert Costello echoed his client’s denial, but also suggested that if such a conversation took place, the public would not find out.
“If there had been such a discussion, it would have been between Giuliani and Trump. Do you think any of them would be the source of The New York Times? It does not make any sense. The whole story is ridiculous, “Costello told the Daily News.
Giuliani has not been charged with any crime, but federal prosecutors in Manhattan are known to be investigating his business in Ukraine and his role in the removal of the US ambassador to the European country, a move that prompted Trump’s indictment.
File / AP
Although unusual, presidents can preemptively pardon crimes; for example, President Gerald Ford in 1974 pardoned Richard Nixon (pictured) for crimes he may have committed in the Watergate scandal.
The former New York mayor has also been the key person in Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. As part of that fact-defied effort, Giuliani has unleashed a torrent of unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud and even personally charged Biden with unspecified crimes.
Although unusual, presidents can preemptively pardon crimes. The most famous example was President Gerald Ford’s 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon for any and all crimes he may have committed as part of the Watergate scandal.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s separate former personal attorney who remains in home confinement for crimes he committed on Trump’s behalf, said he has no doubt that his former boss is considering clemency for Giuliani.
“There is nothing new that is happening here. Donald Trump has been offering pardons as a drunken sailor since 2017, ”said Cohen, whose attorneys were at one point in talks with Trump about a possible pardon before publicly breaking with the president.
“He does this to keep everyone’s mouths quiet and on course with his message.”
Lauren Victoria Burke / AP
President Donald Trump last week pardoned Michael Flynn (pictured), his former national security adviser.
Last week, Trump pardoned Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser.
Flynn received clemency after terminating a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors investigating Trump campaign ties to Russia in 2016.
Roger Stone, Trump’s longtime political confidant, received a commutation of sentence from the president earlier this year after similarly refusing to cooperate with prosecutors.
Trump is likely to issue several more pardons before leaving office on January 20.
Beyond Giuliani, Trump has several other associates who remain in legal jeopardy, including Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman, and Steve Bannon, his former head of strategy.
