Intelligence director has no idea whether Giuliani has security clearance

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire testified on Thursday that he has no idea why Rudy Giuliani is involved in speaking to Ukrainian government officials, what he does, and whether or not Giuliani has any sort of security clearance.

“In the complaint, it talks about our national security, the inspector general talks about this as the highest responsibility among those that the DNI has, and obviously Mr. Giuliani is playing this role. To your knowledge, does he have security clearance?” Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) asked Maguire.

“I don’t know,” Maguire responds. “I am neither aware or unaware whether or not Mr. Giuliani has a security clearance.”

Further, Maguire admits that his only knowledge about Giuliani’s activities comes from television and the news media.

“I am not aware of what he does, in fact, for the president,” Maguire said.

In fact, the only information Maguire said he has about Giuliani’s role in the Ukraine scandal is “limited to the conversation that the president had with the president of Ukraine.”

This line of questioning relates to Giuliani’s involvement in the Trump administration seeking dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden from Ukraine in order to influence the 2020 election. Giuliani was mentioned several times by Donald Trump during a July 25 phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine, according to a memo released by the White House.

In a previous statement, Giuliani has admitted to traveling to Ukraine to dig up dirt that could “be very, very helpful to my client,” who is Trump.

On Monday, Giuliani claimed the State Department called him and asked him to be involved.

“The State Department called me and said would I take a call from Mr. [Andriy] Yermak, who’s No. 2 or three to the president-elect who is now the president,” Giuliani told Fox News.

On Tuesday, Giuliani made a similar claim on another Fox News program, claiming, “I never talked to an Ukrainian official until the State Department called me and asked me to do it. And then I reported to every conversation back to them.”

The State Department, however, claims Giuliani is a private citizen who is acting on his own.

“Mr. Giuliani is a private citizen and acts in a personal capacity as a lawyer for President Trump. He does not speak on behalf of the U.S. Government,” the State Department said in a statement.

In the end, even the acting director of national intelligence has no idea what, exactly, Giuliani is doing. One member of Congress says Ukrainian officials were confused as to Giuliani’s role.

So, apparently, is America’s top intelligence official.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.