President Trump on Saturday lauded his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani following reporting about the attorney becoming the apparent target of a federal criminal investigation.

“So now they are after the legendary ‘crime buster’ and greatest Mayor in the history of NYC, Rudy Giuliani,” Mr. Trump said on Twitter. “He may seem a little rough around the edges sometimes, but he is also a great guy and wonderful lawyer. Such a one sided Witch Hunt going on in USA. Deep State. Shameful!”

The New York Times reported Friday evening that Mr. Giuliani, 75, is said to be under investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for potential violations of lobbying laws.

Citing two people familiar with the probe, The Times reported that investigators are scrutinizing Mr. Giuliani’s efforts to undermine Marie L. Yovanovitch, a career diplomat and the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two Soviet-born men Mr. Giuliani has called his clients, were arrested on related charges Wednesday. They are accused of violating federal campaign finance laws in part by lobbying a U.S. congressman to have Ms. Yovanovitch recalled from Kyiv.

“They sell political influence not only to advance their own financial interests, but to advance the political interests of one foreign official, a Ukrainian government official who sought the dismissal of the U.S. ambassador to the Ukraine,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman stated following their arrest.

Mr. Trump hired Mr. Giuliani in 2018 amid the president facing legal challenges stemming from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2017 elections. The former two-term Republican mayor of New York City has more recently batted for the president as he faces an impeachment probe launched last month by Democrats in the House of Representatives.

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