BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Judge orders special master to review Rudy Giuliani’s electronic devices

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani gestures as he speaks as Trump supporters gather by the White House ahead of his speech to contest the certification by the U.S. Congress of the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo/File Photo

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

NEW YORK (Reuters) — A U.S. federal judge on Friday ordered an independent review of evidence from electronic devices seized in recent raids of Rudy Giuliani’s home and office, rejecting Giuliani’s effort to block it.

U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan said appointing a special master would “ensure the perception of fairness” in reviewing the 18 devices, including cellphones and computers, taken during the April 28 raids.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have been examining Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine, including whether he violated lobbying laws by acting as an unregistered foreign agent while working as a lawyer for then-President Donald Trump.

Robert Costello, a lawyer for Giuliani, said he considered it “inevitable” a special master would be appointed, “so this ruling comes as no surprise to us.”

The office of U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss in Manhattan declined to comment.

Giuliani has not been charged, and after the raids, he said that his conduct had been “absolutely legal and ethical.”

A special master, typically a retired judge, would weed out communications covered by attorney-client privilege related to Giuliani’s clients, including Trump, a fellow Republican.

Oetken rejected Giuliani’s argument that the government should have sought his devices by subpoena, a less invasive process that would let Giuliani review the devices first.

“The search warrants at issue here were based on judicial findings of probable cause – supported by detailed affidavits – to believe that evidence of violations of specified federal offenses would be found at the locations to be searched,” he wrote.

Oetken also rejected Giuliani’s request to review documents detailing the basis for searching his devices and for a November 2019 search of his iCloud account, saying Giuliani was “not entitled to a preview of the government’s evidence.”

The special master would also review a device seized from Victoria Toensing, a lawyer who has worked with Giuliani.

Michael Bowe, a lawyer for Toensing, declined to comment.

Oetken ordered prosecutors and lawyers for Giuliani and Toensing to propose candidates for special master by June 4.

Latest News

In seeking a special master, prosecutors cited their office’s 2018 probe of another former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, where a special master reviewed materials seized from his home, office and a hotel room.

Cohen later pleaded guilty to campaign finance and other crimes.

The raids marked an aggressive new phase of a probe being conducted by the same U.S. Attorney’s office that Giuliani led in the 1980s.

Giuliani later served as New York City’s mayor and won wide praise for his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

He began representing Trump in April 2018 as Special Counsel Robert Mueller was probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Giuliani also sought before the 2020 U.S. presidential election to uncover damaging information about Democrat Joe Biden, who defeated Trump, and Biden’s son Hunter.

U.S.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

66°F Sunny Feels like 66°
Wind
6 mph SW
Humidity
48%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
50°F A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Wind
6 mph N
Precip
10%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waxing Gibbous