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(CNN Spanish) - The personal lawyer of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, Rudolph Giuliani, was received in Madrid by Alejandro Betancourt López, a powerful contractor of the Venezuelan energy sector who hired him to defend him in an investigation for possible money laundering. money and bribery carried by the United States Department of Justice, according to sources cited by The Washington Post.
On that trip to Spain, Trump's lawyer also planned to meet with an adviser to the president of Ukraine. A month later, "Giuliani was one of several lawyers representing Betancourt in Washington."
“The lawyers met with the head of the criminal division of the Department of Justice and other government lawyers to argue that the Venezuelan executive should not face criminal charges in the case of money laundering for US $ 1.2 billion filed in Florida last year said those who, like others in this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation, ”according to the article.
The newspaper clarifies that Betancourt is not one of the defendants in the case, but that a person familiar with the issue says that he is included "as a conspirator without criminal charges."
Giuliani had not revealed that Betancourt was his client and according to the Washington Post, it is a sample of how Trump's lawyer has continued to work for foreigners with interests while also representing the US president.
In addition, the newspaper says that this would also show that although Giuliani says he works for the president for free, he has used his paid work with other clients to boost his efforts to find elements in Ukraine that benefit Trump.
When asked by the newspaper, Giuliani said in a text message that this matter is part of the "privilege between lawyer and client, so I will endure any malicious lie or turn that is put on him."
Eric Creizman, Giuliani's lawyer, declined to comment.
For his part, Jon Sale, Betancourt's lawyer, told the newspaper that his client denies committing any wrongdoing and refused to comment on Betancourt's relationship with Giuliani.
Rudolph Giuliani