And while all of this was happening, Mr. Giuliani still served as a lawyer to clients with cases to plead before the Justice Department. In distancing itself from Mr. Giuliani and trying to draw bright lines around how the Justice Department will and will not engage with him, the department has also undercut the perception that Mr. Giuliani can influence some of Washington’s most important lawyers and decision makers. That could make it harder for Mr. Giuliani to represent clients who are under Justice Department scrutiny in the future. “This is an incredibly unusual statement from the Justice Department, which does not comment on ongoing investigations or even acknowledge them, and it’s the kind of statement that would give clients pause about who is representing them,” said Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor. Mr. Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment.

Source: New York Times October 20, 2019 23:03 UTC