Perry Unfazed By Directive To Consult With Giuliani On Ukraine: ‘I Trusted Him’

Austin, TX September 11, 2009: Texas Public Policy Foundation Gala at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel.  Photos by Bob Daemmrich 512-469-9700  for TPPF use only, all third-party publication uses must be approved by the photographer.
Rudy Giuliani and Rick Perry (Photo by Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Friday that he had no qualms being directed to work with Rudy Giuliani on matters related to Ukraine, since he “trusted him.”

“I’ve known Rudy since 2008. I endorsed him for President in 2008,” he said on Fox News. “I worked with him. I trusted him.”

When asked if he thought it was strange when President Donald Trump instructed him to talk to Giuliani about a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Perry shrugged.

“As a governor of Texas, I used people outside of government all the time to give me information,” he said. “I respect the State Department. But I happen to know people in the energy industry who are smarter than the State Department folks. I didn’t see a problem with that at all.”

He also said that he “never heard the Biden name” and that the quid pro quo spelled out in the whistleblower complaint and call memo released by the White House was actually nonexistent.

Perry answered with a resounding “no” when asked if he witnessed evidence of a crime connected to Ukraine during his time in the administration.

Perry also said that he was waiting on advice from his general counsel about whether or not he should comply with the House subpoena, and that they’d likely have a decision by the end of the day.

Perry’s role in the Ukrainian scandal has come into clearer focus lately, with a Wednesday report revealing that Trump directed Perry to consult with Giuliani on Ukrainian matters when the former returned from leading the U.S. delegation at Zelensky’s inauguration in May.

In addition, deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for Ukraine George Kent’s testimony this week highlighted Perry as one of the “three amigos” charged with handling all Ukrainian matters, while officials like Kent were sidelined.

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Notable Replies

  1. Ahemmmm…you were not listening to your fellow RepubliCON who said trust but verify!

    So now, you’re part of the explosion of Grenade Giuliani and his master The Extortionist-In-Chief!

  2. Amazed at all of these people who think that claiming they didn’t know it was about Biden gives them a defense.

    If you’re in a gang that’s going downtown to rob a bank, it really doesn’t matter that you aren’t aware whether it’s the Capital One Bank or Bank of America.

  3. Perry also said that he was waiting on advice from his general counsel about whether or not he should comply with the House subpoena

    I’m guessing his “general counsel” is named Cockholster, who will advise him that subpoenas are mere suggestions and compliance is optional for members of the law-and-order Guardians Of Plutocrats.

  4. Avatar for erik_t erik_t says:

    Oh, Rick, your lawyer told you to shut the fuck up. What he meant by that was that you should shut the fuck up. I know they don’t teach how to shut the fuck up in Goodhair Skool, but the concept behind shut the fuck up is quite simple. When you are asked a question, you don’t answer it. Instead, you shut the fuck up.

  5. Avatar for tao tao says:

    Trusting Giuliani pretty much confirms everything Dubya said about Perry being epically dumb.

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