President Donald Trump’s personal attorney was referred to as the leader of a “high-level U.S. delegation” by Bahrain’s state-run news agency on Tuesday, though Giuliani met with the country’s king as a representative of his personal business, not the United States. The New York Times flagged the meeting Wednesday.
“His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today at the Safriya Palace received former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, leading a high-level delegation,” read Bahrain News Agency’s brief write up of Giuliani’s photo-op with the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. “HM the King praised the longstanding Bahraini-US relations, noting keenness of the two countries to constantly develop them. Topics of joint interests were also discussed.”
Giuliani also met with Bahrain’s interior minister, the Times reported Wednesday.
Giuliani stressed in an interview with the paper that he made no representations on behalf of the United States, and that he makes clear in consulting contracts that he will not lobby the U.S. government. He was in Bahrain to pursue a consulting contract, the Times reported.
“I’m probably the most ethical person you ever met,” Giuliani told the Times. “I follow all the rules. I have no desire to trade on anything.”
He added: “I can guarantee you, whether they think the picture is valuable, there is nothing I’m going to do to help them other than what they pay me for.”
Giuliani, the Times reported, said the meeting was set up by Robert Stryk. According to a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing flagged by the Times, Stryk’s firm has said its work for Bahrain consists of “facilitat[ing] meetings and interactions with U.S. administration officials.”
The Times characterized the trip as “part of a concerted push Mr. Giuliani has undertaken in the last few weeks to win business from governments around the world” for his firm Giuliani Security and Safety. TPM previously reported on a conference Giuliani headlined earlier this year in Armenia. The Trump lawyer and his firm have done similar business for interests in Romania and Ukraine.
Still sucking in the consultant payola Rudy?
Grifters gonna grift.
“I’m probably the most ethical person you ever met,” Giuliani told the Times.
NARRATOR: “Rudy Giuliani isn’t the most ethical person anyone has ever met.”
Hey, a guy’s gotta make a buck, don’t he?
Anyone else notice that Giuliani is slowly but surely replacing Cohen?
He is clearly his front man now in charge of foreign grifting and influence peddling…