OUCH
Judge Rips ‘Disingenuous’ Rudy Giuliani in Iran Sanctions Case
The ex-mayor and his partner didn’t even mention the country in affidavits supporting an accused sanctions violator whom they are trying to free by striking a deal outside of court.
Katie Zavadski
05.02.17 5:10 PM ET
A federal judge called Rudy Giuliani’s statements about his work in an Iran sanctions case “disingenuous” at a hearing Tuesday, criticizing the ex-New York City mayor for omitting any mention of Iran altogether.
Giuliani and former U.S. attorney general Michael Mukasey are working on behalf of a Turkish gold trader accused of helping Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions related to its nuclear program. In affidavits filed last month, Giuliani and Mukasey said they were working on extrajudicial resolutions for Reza Zarrab’s legal troubles. Instead of appearing in court, Giuliani and Mukasey said they have met with high-ranking officials in Turkey and the U.S.—including Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan—to work towards a diplomatic resolution.
The affidavits also downplayed the seriousness of the charges facing Zarrab. The criminal complaint against Zarrab accuses him of helping entities that work with the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, and other organizations tied to its nuclear program, while the affidavits simply referred to Zarrab’s alleged misdeeds as ones involving “consumer goods.”
“Most respectfully, the Giuliani and Mukasey affidavits appear surprisingly disingenuous in failing to mention the central role of Iran in the indictment,” said Judge Richard Berman, adding that the affidavits omit any mention of Iran altogether.
Such an omission discounts the fact that the charges against Zarrab are serious felonies, Berman said.
Tuesday’s meeting also addressed potential conflicts of interest between Giuliani and Mukasey, and their legal firms, and the Zarrab case. The firms also represent some of the alleged “victim banks” in the case; Giuliani’s firm is also a registered agent of Turkey.
Among the other revelations in court was that Giuliani has never even met Zarrab face-to-face. Giuliani was famously critical of the Iran nuclear deal and Iran’s political system more broadly before taking on this sanctions case mere months after he was considered for top-level government posts including Secretary of State.
All communications between the men are through “me, or Mr. Mukasey, or Mr. Giuliani’s partner,” said Zarrab’s defense attorney Ben Brafman. “I do not believe there were any direct communications.”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/02/judge-rips-disingenuous-rudy-giuliani-in-iran-sanctions-case?via=newsletter&source=DDAfternoon
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