According to a report from CNN, former members of Donald Trump's administration panicked after hearing federal officials raided the home and offices of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani fearing that they could be next.
On Thursday, federal investigators armed with a warrant confiscated cell phones and computers belonging to Giuliani as part of an investigation into his dealings with Ukraine that one stunned Trump associate called "overkill."
News of the raid was greeted with dismay by former Trump administration officials as they have come to recognize that Attorney General Merrick Garland is allowing U.S. Attorneys under him to pursue former government officials, reports CNN.
One former Trump adviser, who wished to remain anonymous, told CNN, "This was a show of force that sent a strong message to a lot of people in Trump's world that other things may be coming down the pipeline."
According to the report from CNN's Gabby Orr, "According to the Trump adviser, the raid ignited a sense of fear inside the former President's orbit that Justice Department officials may be more willing to pursue investigations of the 45th president or his inner circle than many Trump allies had previously believed. Two other people close to the former President, who echoed these sentiments, declined to be quoted for this story."
Former Trump officials worry that Giuliani could implicate Trump or other administration officials as part of a plea deal, with one Trump insider saying, "Even the most loyal people have their breaking point," before adding it "wouldn't shock me at all" if the former U.S. Attorney flipped on the ex-president.
Added another, "I think we've seen some more surprising instances of things like that happening, especially with Michael Cohen."
As for Cohen, on Saturday morning he told an MSNBC host that Giuliani's phones and computers could contain a "treasure trove" of information that could be used to pursue former Attorney General Bill Barr, Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner.
You can read more from CNN here.