https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-rudy-giuliani-mystery-trips-to-russia-armenia-and-ukraine
Rudy Giulianis Mystery Trips to Russia, Armenia and Ukraine Trump, Inc. Podcast
We spent weeks investigating his work and clients in the former Soviet Union. We have so many questions.
by Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz, WNYC Oct. 31, 2018, 4 a.m. EDT
In this weeks episode of Trump, Inc., were digging into a part of Giulianis work that has occurred largely outside of the spotlight: He has often traveled to Russia or other former Soviet states as guests of powerful players there. And since Trump was elected, he appears to have stepped up the frequency of those trips.
Just last week, for example, Giuliani appeared in the former Soviet republic of Armenia, which has close trade ties with Russia. He was invited, according to local press accounts, by Ara Abramyan, an Armenian businessman who lives in Russia. Abramyan once helped reconstruct the Kremlin and also received a medal for merit to the fatherland from President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Giuliani said he was in Armenia as a private citizen, but on a local TV news show, Abramyan implied that he expected Giuliani to carry a message for him to Trump. (The conversation was in Armenian, so its not clear whether Giuliani understood what Abramyan was saying.)
While in Armenia, Giuliani also attended a technology conference (one of his businesses advises on cybersecurity). The conference program listed him as appearing on a panel that also included a Russian currently on the U.S. sanctions list imposed after Russias invasion of Crimea.
There are many things we dont know about Giulianis trips. We dont know whether hes being paid, and if so by whom. Giuliani declined to answer our questions.
One thing we do know is that a company called TriGlobal Strategic Ventures claims credit for organizing the trips. Abramyan is on TriGlobals board, as is a former Russian government minister. TriGlobal and Abramyan also did not respond to our questions.
Giulianis work abroad does not appear to break any laws or rules. But it also appears to be unprecedented. Said Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney and a law professor at the University of Michigan: I dont recall seeing anything like this before.