Rudy Giuliani has an extensive history with Iran. As The Daily Beast points out, he was once paid by organizations linked to an Iranian dissident group that was designated a terrorist organization by the US which Giuliani later helped get off the terror list. The organization was called the People’s Mojahedin of Iran and is known by its Farsi acronym, MEK, and he's was in touch with the group's lobbyists last fall.
After the strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Giuliani told The Daily Beast that Soleimani was “directly responsible for killing some of my MEK people."
“We don't like him very much," he added.
Trump is reportedly surrounded by other MEK allies. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey is a pro-bono lobbyist for the group’s political arm, the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Former national security adviser John Bolton is a MEK supporter as well.
"Giuliani has parlayed his position as Trump’s lawyer and confidant into a role as a shadow diplomat, helping to steer U.S. policy in major areas of international affairs," The Daily Beast's Lachlan Markay and Asawin Suebsaeng write. "And while Giuliani’s role in the still-unfolding Ukraine scandal contributed to the president’s impeachment last month, his behind-the-scenes advice on Iran, where Giuliani has long promoted the interests of a controversial dissident group frequently described as 'cult-like,' has the potential to even further impact U.S. policy at the highest levels."
Read their full report over at The Daily Beast.
