WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani's ties to Ukrainian energy projects and whether he violated federal lobbying laws, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg, citing three unnamed U.S. officials, on Thursday reported federal prosecutors in Manhattan were investigating Giuliani's financial dealings that could include possible campaign finance violations and a failure to register as a foreign agent.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports. Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer who represents him immediately responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan declined to comment.
Citing people briefed on the matter, the Journal said two Giuliani associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, pitched a new company, and plans for a Poland-to-Ukraine pipeline carrying U.S. natural gas, to Ukrainian officials and energy executives earlier this year, and said the project had White House support.
Parnas and Fruman also told Ukrainian officials that Giuliani was a partner in the pipeline venture, a project of their company Global Energy Producers, the newspaper said, citing one of the people.
In a Friday interview with the newspaper, Giuliani denied involvement in the energy company and pipeline pitch, and said he had no indication prosecutors were looking into the matter.
"I have no personal interest in any business in Ukraine, including that business," he said.