Giuliani says his Ukraine trip this week is linked to TV documentary defending Trump
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani traveled to the Ukraine capital Kiev on Wednesday, the second stop on a trip to Europe this week. Giuliani said the Kiev visit is linked to a TV news network's docuseries defending President Trump against the mounting impeachment inquiry against him.
The president's attorney reportedly sought meetings with several former Ukrainian prosecutors who claim to have linked former Vice President Joe Biden to corruption in the country. The former prosecutors include Viktor Shokin, who was fired amid his probe into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm where Biden's son Hunter Biden served on the board, according to The New York Times.
JOE BIDEN TELLS FOX NEWS HE WON'T APPEAR VOLUNTARILY AS WITNESS IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Giuliani previously stopped in Budapest on Tuesday, where he met with Yuriy Lutsenko, another former Ukrainian prosecutor who claims he told Giuliani he would not investigate Biden at the behest of Trump unless U.S. officials launched their own investigation first. Lutsenko was ousted from his position following allegations of abuse of power but his office later pursued investigations requested by Trump.
Giuliani's stop in Kiev came on the same day that the House Judiciary Committee held its first public impeachment hearing, featuring four legal scholars who answered lawmakers' questions regarding possible impeachable offenses committed by Trump. The allegations stem from a whistleblower's complaint that the president attempted to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into Biden by making it a condition of receiving U.S. military aid.
LESKO CALLS ON NADLER TO CANCEL ANY FUTURE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The former New York City mayor's efforts abroad are part of his latest attempt to bolster Republican claims that there was no quid pro quo involved in Trump's discussions with Ukraine's president -- and thus no grounds for impeachment. The docuseries with which Giuliani is participating is being produced by conservative news channel One America News (OAN), which has already aired two episodes.
"I'm just a country lawyer trying to show his client is being framed. I will do it," Giuliani told Fox News on Wednesday.
The OAN series also includes interviews with several Trump supporters plus three former Ukrainian officials -- Andrii Telizhenko, Andrii Artemenko and Mykhaylo Okhendovsky -- whose segments were taped last month at OAN’s studios in Washington.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
The network released a statement Tuesday about the upcoming third episode in the series.
"Part III of this One America News Investigates series is currently in the works with OAN investigative staff outside the United States conducting key interviews at undisclosed safe houses," the statement said. "Additional information on Part III will be provided upon return of OAN staff to US soil."