The Justice Department now says that official, Brian Benczkowski, and other fraud prosecutors at Justice headquarters wouldn't have taken that meeting with Giuliani earlier this summer had they known about a Manhattan US attorney probe of two Giuliani associates who were indicted this month. It is striking that the Justice Department is having to distance itself from the President's own personal attorney. Justice officials have said Attorney General William Barr was briefed on the case in February upon taking office. A New York lawyer told CNN that FBI counterintelligence agents asked him questions in February or March related to Giuliani and his associates. The Justice statement marks the second time in recent days that the department has publicly distanced itself from the collateral political damage surrounding Giuliani and his activities at the center of the House's impeachment inquiry into the President.

Source: CNN October 21, 2019 03:00 UTC