The FBI’s recent raid of Rudy Giuliani’s apartment and office appears to be a form of retaliation against him and one of his clients, former President Donald Trump, the Democracy Institute’s Patrick Basham says.
“From the outside, it appears crystal clear that this is a political retaliation against Giuliani and against Trump and the Trump inner circle, more broadly defined,” Basham, director of the think tank, told NTD, part of Epoch Media Group, in a recent interview.
FBI agents seized devices belonging to Giuliani in the April 28 raid, according to court filings.
Giuliani’s lawyer has said the search warrants suggested Giuliani illegally neglected to register as a foreign agent. He and Giuliani have disputed the accusation.
The FBI declined to comment via email.
Basham said the FBI has increasingly been used as a political tool in recent years, with Trump and those close to him bearing the brunt of the impact.
“What has happened with the FBI clearly over the past several years—at a minimum—is that the FBI has been weaponized for political purposes. In recent years, that has been primarily against Trump and those surrounding him,” Basham said.
“What the FBI is trying to do here is not I think so much get Rudy Giuliani, but get compromising information if it exists on Donald Trump and others in Trump’s inner circle, and most importantly, to scare off, to warn off anyone connected with Donald Trump … so that they steer clear of him and they do not do or say anything in public to support the president,” he added.
