President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani appeared to contradict himself Sunday over whether he would cooperate with a House impeachment probe over the whistleblower complaint, but ultimately said he would if directed by Trump.
Asked by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” if he was going to cooperate with the committee if it includes him in its probe, the former New York City mayor replied: “I wouldn’t cooperate with (House Intelligence Committee Chairman) Adam Schiff. I think Adam Schiff should be removed.”
“So that’s your answer? You’re not going to cooperate?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“I didn’t say that. I said I will consider it,” Giuliani replied.
Pressed by Stephanopoulos on his conflicting response, Giuliani again said he would “consider it,” adding that any potential action would be “guided” by Trump, his client.
“If (Trump) decides that he wants me to testify of course I’ll testify – even though I think Adam Schiff is an illegitimate chairman,” he said.
Giuliani refused to commit when speaking to CNN Sunday evening to providing required documents if he is subpoenaed by Congressional investigators, and he continued to remain noncommittal on if he would comply with a subpoena.
“Must all be taken under consideration including my question about how a committee of Congress can be chaired by a partisan who has clearly made up his mind,” he told CNN. “It’s like going before a judge who has made so many prejudicial comments about your client that it is a mockery to think he will be fair.”
Giuliani went on to add that Schiff should be removed from his position atop the committee. When asked if he would resist the subpoena until Schiff steps down, he wouldn’t give a firm answer.
“There are many privileges to work your way through including a Sixth Amendment attorney-client and attorney-work product privilege. I’m not saying I will or will not. The illegitimacy of the investigation is only one and maybe not decisive,” he said.
When asked about Schiff’s potential subpoena, Giuliani said, “I’m not worried.”
Giuliani has become a key player in House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into Trump’s conduct and was named 31 times in a whistleblower complaint that alleges Trump abused his official powers “to solicit interference” from Ukraine in the upcoming 2020 election, and that the White House took steps to cover it up. Trump has denied doing anything improper, despite a transcript released by the White House showing he repeatedly pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden – his potential 2020 political rival – and his son, Hunter Biden.
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe or Hunter Biden.
Speaking Friday with CNN’s Jim Sciutto, Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, did not rule out calling on Giuliani to testify or even subpoenaing, saying he “obviously has several questions for him.”
More from CNN's Facts First team on Ukraine controversy
According to a transcript released by the White House of the July 25 call between the two leaders, Zelensky told Trump that he was aware of Giuliani’s efforts to uncover information that would help Trump politically, and Trump encouraged Zelensky to speak with his lawyer because Giuliani “very much knows what’s happening.”
On Friday, Giuliani said he would not testify without consulting his client, Trump, and that testimony about his work for the President should be protected by attorney-client privilege.
“Ultimately, if I were to say yes and he were to say no, I can’t testify,” Giuliani told CNN Friday. Not long after, news broke that he had told Sky News essentially the opposite that he would in fact testify. And asked if he was concerned he would be subpoenaed by the House, Giuliani laughed.
“I consider them a joke. A sad joke. They have no legitimacy. I would think of challenging their subpoena on the grounds that they’re not a legitimate committee,” the former mayor said.
CNN’s Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.