It is reported, that on Thursday, Rudy Giuliani joined President Donald Trump’s personal legal team, along with the husband-wife duo Marty Raskin and Jane Serene Raskin who previously were federal prosecutors and now run a private practice. These new additions to the President’s legal defense team have given him an edge, at a very critical time in the Mueller probe. Rudy Giuliani is the former mayor of New York and is a U.S. attorney.
Giuliani in an interview with the Post said that the reason he joined Trump’s personal legal team “because I hope we can negotiate an end to this for the good of the country and because I have high regard for the President and for Bob Mueller.”
“When he first announced it, he said ‘Muslim ban,’” said Giuliani. “He called me up, he said ‘put a commission together, show me the right way to do it legally.’ I put a commission together.”
The President released a statement saying, “Rudy is great. He has been my friend for a long time and wants to get this matter quickly resolved for the good of the country.”
Donald Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow stated, “I have had the privilege of working with Mayor Giuliani for many years, and we welcome his expertise. Mayor Giuliani expressed his deep appreciation to the President for allowing him to assist in this important matter.”
“What I did for New York City, Donald Trump will do for America,” he further said. “I have known Donald Trump for almost 30 years. And he has created and accomplished great things. But beyond that, this is a man with a big heart. Every time New York City suffered a tragedy, Donald Trump was there to help.”
“You’ve got different fronts,” he said in an interview that took place earlier in the week. “By nature, it’s going to expand the scope of who you’re going to retain.”
Giuliani is currently working at Greenberg Traurig, which is an international law firm, with its headquarters in Miami. In order to join President Trump’s personal legal team, Giuliani will have to take a leave of absence that will be effective from Thursday. The leave will be “for an unspecified period of time to handle matters unrelated to the law firm or its clients,” stated the Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig, Richard Rosenbaum.
According to sources, Trump has been having a hard time finding elite attorneys to represent him after John Dowd’s resignation, and has even had to face a few rejections. Thus, the new additions, in his personal legal defense team, are being seen as a positive sign.
“Hard to say how this fundamentally changes any of the current dynamic, but there is certainly a need for legal help,” stated Sam Buell, who is a former federal prosecutor.
Barbara McQuade, who previously served as a U.S. attorney from East Michigan, during Obama’s presidency, said that Giuliani has “the experience and knowledge to advise the President in a federal criminal investigation.”
She further added that, “an important component to legal advice is good judgment. Time will tell how well Mr. Giuliani performs on that aspect of his representation.”
Former Federal Prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg stated that having Giuliani on his legal team would benefit the President more in issues relating to public relations, rather than in the actual legal fight.
“Not the guy I would hire for the job; show horse, not a workhorse,” Zeidenberg said referring to Giuliani. “Trump needs a workhorse. But he’ll be good on TV, and I guess that is what matters to Trump.”