Washington • In recent days, lawmakers were told that when President Donald Trump ramped up his campaign to pressure Ukraine into helping him against his domestic political rivals, he directed advisers to his personal lawyer. “Talk with Rudy,” he instructed. But one thing lawmakers will not do is talk with Rudy.
Rudy Giuliani was hardly the only offstage character during two weeks of impeachment hearings that ended Thursday. Lawmakers also heard that Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo were in the loop, that Mick Mulvaney organized the political equivalent of a “drug deal” and that John Bolton was adamantly against it.