Giuliani did exactly what he accused the Bidens of doing — and Americans 'cringe' at the corruption: Ex-DOJ prosecutor

On CNN Thursday, former Justice Department prosecutor Joesph Moreno discussed the latest revelations about Rudy Giuliani's networking in Ukraine with anchor Ana Cabrera.

"Wasn't Giuliani doing what he accused the Bidens of doing?" asked Cabrera. "Shaking down the Ukrainians for personal profit?"

"Exactly," said Moreno. "It's the same swampy, pay-to-play behavior most Americans cringe at when they see it, regardless of who is accused of it. The idea that you're leveraging one relationship with a high-ranking official of the U.S. government in order to benefit either yourself or other clients in a way, it's the kind of thing that while it might approach the line of legality and be terrible optics, terrible ethics and the thing folks hate to see from insiders in Washington."

"If you're saying it doesn't cross the legal line, is that because the deals didn't go through?" asked Cabrera.

"I think it is important to note if you're a lawyer or a consultant, it's okay to have overseas clients," said Moreno. "It is even okay to have overseas government clients. Depending on what you do for them there are lots of rules about reporting that activity to the U.S. government, registering as a lobbyist or under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Of course, depending on what you are paid by them, you have to declare it on your taxes accurately and fully. That work can be legal, but you have to be methodical and meticulous about what you're doing and whether it's appropriate and whether you need to report it to the Justice Department."

"If the reporting is accurate that Mayor Giuliani is now under heightened scrutiny, he better hope everything he's done for his various clients the past few years was really done by the book," added Moreno.

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