Rudy Giuliani Reportedly Playing Ball With Jan. 6 Committee, Has Been Signaling He Won’t Stonewall Like Other Trump Allies

In what is becoming a highly unusual position for an ally of former President Donald Trump’s, Rudy Giuliani is reportedly playing ball with the Jan. 6 Committee.

According to The New York Times, Giuliani is prepared to take a much less aggressive posture against the committee than others in Trump’s orbit. While the report stresses that negotiations between Giuliani and the committee “could easily fall apart,” it also states that Giuliani has signaled that he plans to take a “less confrontational stance” towards the panel than others close to Trump.

The article, authored by four Times correspondents including Maggie Haberman, suggests Giuliani’s motive for entertaining the committee’s requests may be financial — as he may not want to take up what would be an expensive legal battle. From the report:

Mr. Giuliani’s discussions with committee officials suggest that he may be seeking to avoid a potentially costly legal fight over a subpoena that was issued to him last month. By engaging with the committee, Mr. Giuliani could also make it more difficult for the House to issue a criminal referral of him to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress if he in the end does not comply with the subpoena.

Should Mr. Giuliani ultimately provide the committee with substantive cooperation, it would be a major breakthrough for the investigation and a breach in the relationship between Mr. Trump and one of his closest if most problematic advisers.

Earlier this week, a Michigan prosecutor claimed Giuliani asked him to seize voting machines in the weeks after the 2020 election.