Rudy Giuliani's latest 'absurd' effort to stonewall Congress torn to shreds by former federal prosecutors

Rudy Giuliani has invented a new excuse for why he shouldn't be forced to testify under oath before Congress -- and it is not holding up under scrutiny from legal experts.

In an interview with Politico, Giuliani claimed that testifying about his work in trying to get the Ukrainian government to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden would violate the attorney-client privilege he shares with President Donald Trump.

But former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti argues that congressional investigators wouldn't have to ask him about conversations he'd had with the president in order to get more information about Giuliani's activities.

"There is no attorney-client privilege between Giuliani and Ukrainians, or between Giuliani and State Department officials," Mariotti writes. "On its face, this comment is absurd."

Ken White, who like Mariotti is also a former federal prosecutor, had a similar take and jokingly asked, "But what if Rudy is voluntary pro bono counsel to all Ukrainians."

Giuliani is a central figure in the investigation of President Donald Trump's efforts to push the Ukrainian government to launch an investigation into potential 2020 rival Joe Biden. Giuliani's words and actions so far have not only implicated the president in this scheme, but also State Department officials who apparently helped him set up meetings with Ukrainian officials.