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Lawyer: Giuliani eyes 'diplomatic' end to Turkish man's case
Source: Associated Press
Lawyer: Giuliani eyes 'diplomatic' end to Turkish man's case
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Apr. 4, 2017 3:02 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and a former U.S. attorney general are seeking a "diplomatic solution" to resolving charges that a prominent Turkish businessman helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions, a defense lawyer said Tuesday, insisting that their actions — including meeting Turkey's president — weren't intended to derail prosecutors.
"We've acted aboveboard," attorney Ben Brafman told a Manhattan judge as he explained that he told prosecutors last month that Giuliani and ex-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey were going to meet Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of their work on behalf of Reza Zarrab. "Nobody was trying to hide their involvement."
He said Mukasey, a former Manhattan federal judge who served as attorney general under President George W. Bush, also informed Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the trip.
Brafman said there was nothing wrong with his client hiring Mukasey and Giuliani, a former Manhattan U.S. attorney and a close supporter and adviser to President Donald Trump, "in an attempt to explore whether there may be a diplomatic solution to this case."
Zarrab, 33, of Istanbul, has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to process hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran's government from 2010 to 2015. Authorities say those transactions are banned by U.S. and international sanctions. An August trial is scheduled.
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By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Apr. 4, 2017 3:02 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and a former U.S. attorney general are seeking a "diplomatic solution" to resolving charges that a prominent Turkish businessman helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions, a defense lawyer said Tuesday, insisting that their actions — including meeting Turkey's president — weren't intended to derail prosecutors.
"We've acted aboveboard," attorney Ben Brafman told a Manhattan judge as he explained that he told prosecutors last month that Giuliani and ex-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey were going to meet Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of their work on behalf of Reza Zarrab. "Nobody was trying to hide their involvement."
He said Mukasey, a former Manhattan federal judge who served as attorney general under President George W. Bush, also informed Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the trip.
Brafman said there was nothing wrong with his client hiring Mukasey and Giuliani, a former Manhattan U.S. attorney and a close supporter and adviser to President Donald Trump, "in an attempt to explore whether there may be a diplomatic solution to this case."
Zarrab, 33, of Istanbul, has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to process hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran's government from 2010 to 2015. Authorities say those transactions are banned by U.S. and international sanctions. An August trial is scheduled.
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Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/41ac6765f41b434282817a4aa418533c/lawyer-giuliani-eyes-diplomatic-end-turkish-mans-case
