We’ve long known Giuliani was wrapped up in the effort to dig up Ukrainian dirt for Donald Trump to use against Joe Biden, the events that led to Trump’s first impeachment. So, it’s no surprise to learn that at least certain members of the FBI thought Giuliani was a Russian asset in that country’s same effort.
What is at least somewhat surprising is that the FBI quashed that investigation, according to a 22-page statement sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee by FBI agent Johnathan Buma.
From Mother Jones:
As Republicans keep trying to gin up a controversy over the Bidens, Burisma, and other matters, Buma’s statement reinforces the case that this supposed Biden-Ukraine scandal was egged on or orchestrated by Russian intelligence. And it contradicts the narrative pushed by Trump and his defenders that the FBI and Justice Department have been in cahoots with Democrats.
Giuliani’s role in Trump’s coup attempt and his string of public humiliations may overshadow the Ukrainian chapter in Giuliani’s downfall. But, according to Buma and various US intelligence findings, Giuliani apparently was a dupe—a useful idiot—for suspected Russian operatives and propagandists. And the bureau, Buma says, investigated this—until it didn’t.
Mother Jones details the complicated but compelling facts uncovered. They amount to “an allegation that Russian spies may have obtained influence over a top adviser to the US president.”
So why on earth didn’t the FBI get to the bottom of this? We don’t know.
What we do know is very disturbing.
The New Yorker has more:
That summer [of 2020], under the oversight of Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Buma arranged for “a cooperating witness” to secretly tape conversations between Giuliani and Ukrainian officials as Giuliani looked for dirt on Hunter Biden and pursued the film project. After one day of recording, Berman was abruptly fired by William Barr. This effectively ended the Giuliani operation.
Also this:
Buma said in his statement that, even though his interactions with [an anonymous source code-named] Dynamo were yielding indictments and fruitful intelligence, his work came under growing pressure as it touched on Giuliani. “In the midst of my reporting involving Giuliani, which had previously been identified by my superiors as ‘high impact,’ my management told me that they received a call from a supervisor” in the New York field office, Buma wrote. The unnamed supervisor “had taken issue with my reporting and work”—without explanation—and after the middle of 2019 Buma’s superiors “started suppressing my reporting in an increasingly aggressive fashion.”
He added, “While I do not know exactly what had raised alarms, the conduct of my superiors and the timing of their actions made plain that reporting concerning Giuliani and a group of people surrounding him with existing or historical ties to the Bureau gave rise to this retaliatory action.”
Buma’s statement claims his reporting caused “acute anxiety” and gave rise to retaliation. “I was no longer allowed to do any reporting related to public corruption, criminal matters, anyone in the White House and any former or current associates of President Trump,” he said.
All this raises questions about which, if any, other Republican officials and operatives may also be involved with the Russian plot. Or the role of social media.
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee told The New Yorker it is “still weighing” what Buma told it in the spring. A spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee declined to comment to The New Yorker.
With the 2024 presidential campaign upon us, there is no time to waste to get to the bottom of Buma’s allegations.
We know why the House won’t look into this. There’s no excuse for the Senate not to do so ASAP.
