DOJ Email Communications Regarding Ukraine

Records from the Department of Justice reflecting meetings of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani with individuals of interest.

The set of records that American Oversight received in December 2020 show contact between high-level Justice Department officials — including Attorney General William Barr — and Trump lawyers Joseph diGenova and Rudy Giuliani in the summer of 2019, at the time of administration contacts with Ukraine that were at the center of the president’s impeachment. Details on the records are below.

Records received in May 2020

Records received in July 2020

Records received in September and November 2020

Records received in December 2020

Records received February 10, 2021

In the Documents

April 26, 2019: Then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein responded to an email from Ed O’Callaghan, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the National Security Division, about declassification comments made by President Donald Trump on Sean Hannity’s television show. “Statements on cable TV and twitter are not presidential orders,” Rosenstein responded.

July 31–Aug. 22, 2019: Email chain referencing a conversation between Attorney General William Barr and Trump lawyer Joseph diGenova on July 30. Staff appear to have arranged a follow-up meeting with senior agency officials.

Sept. 3, 2019: Barr aide William Levi emailed about a meeting involving DOJ staff, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and formerRep. Trey Gowdy. Levi noted that the AG will “drop by and handshake.” Other partially redacted emails in the chain discuss scheduling and preparation.

Sept. 23, 2019: Justice Department official Seth DuCharme sent an email to Brian Benczkowski, then the head of DOJ’s Criminal Division, with the subject line “Firtash.” DuCharme said that he heard from “Joe DeG” (Joseph diGenova), who told DuCharme that “they are heading out to Austria this week to meet with their client.”

Dmitry Firtash is a Ukrainian oligarch who at the time was facing extradition to the United States from Austria on bribery and racketeering charges. Firtash was tied to Giuliani’s discredited smear campaign against Joe Biden. 

Oct. 7, 2019: An email chain between Trump lawyer Joseph diGenova and Justice Department officials referencing a meeting between diGenova and Barr on Aug. 26. In his email, diGenova asked about sending follow-up information to DOJ’s Seth DuCharme.