- Rudy Giuliani asked the State Department and the White House to grant a visa to a former Ukrainian official who Giuliani hoped had -"dirt" on Democrats, diplomat George Kent told congressional investigators.
- During a closed-door testimony to Congress, Kent testified that Giuliani requested a visa in January 2019 for former Ukrainian prosecutor-general Viktor Shokin to travel to the United States, but the State Department ultimately denied the request.
- Even though Giuliani couldn't provide passage to Shokin to the US, the two still spoke over a Skype call at the end of January.
- "Shokin provided information, Giuliani has told CNN, about supposed coordination between Democrats and people in Ukraine, as well as claims about Biden's son Hunter Biden, who had sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings," CNN reported.
- Several Western leaders, including former Vice President Joe Biden, pushed to have Shokin removed as top prosecutor amid concern that he was not pursuing corruption cases.
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The extent of Rudy Giuliani's involvement in government institutions is coming into sharper focus.
A new report from CNN alleges that Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, asked the State Department and then the White House to grant a visa to a former Ukrainian official, diplomat George Kent told congressional investigators.
Kent gave a closed-door testimony this week to congressional committees conducting an impeachment inquiry, but sources confirmed to CNN that he testified that Giuliani requested a visa in January 2019 for former Ukrainian prosecutor-general Viktor Shokin to travel to the United States. Kent told investigators that the State Department ultimately denied the request.
Several Western countries, including former Vice President Joe Biden, pushed to have Shokin removed as top prosecutor amid concern that he was not pursuing corruption cases.
Giuliani had previously told CNN that he wanted to talk to Shokin after the former prosecutor promised to reveal information on the Democrats. Even though Giuliani couldn't provide passage to Shokin to the US, the two still spoke over a Skype call at the end of January.
Read more: The FBI's investigation of Rudy Giuliani includes a counterintelligence aspect that suggests he may be a national security threat
The former New York mayor has emerged as a key player in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, as Congress digs into claims made in a whistleblower complaint from an intelligence official that alleges an abuse of office related to urging Ukrainian officials to pursue investigations into Biden and his son Hunter.
Shokin ultimately gave information "about supposed coordination between Democrats and people in Ukraine, as well as claims about Biden's son Hunter Biden, who had sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings," CNN reported.
Hunter Biden had been on the board of Burisma Holdings. The energy company had been under investigation in Ukraine, though there is no evidence that the investigation involved Hunter or that former Vice President Biden's push for Shokin to be removed had anything to do with the investigation.
Giuliani is reportedly under scrutiny over his ties to Ukraine that could place him in legal jeopardy for potentially violating federal campaign-finance laws, according to legal experts. Two of his associates were arrested recently and charged with campaign finance violations; they are both out on bail.
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