U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani had FBI Agent Tony Lombardi end the FBI’s investigation on Trump money laundering. A few weeks later, Donald Trump raised $2Million for Giuliani’s mayoral campaign. Quid Pro Quo?

Journalist, and author, Wayne Barrett writes in his 2016 article:

Tony Lombardi, the federal agent closest to then-U.S. Attorney Giuliani, opened a probe of Trump's role in the suspect sale of two Trump Tower apartments to Robert Hopkins, the mob-connected head of the city's largest gambling ring.

Barrett explains:

The government subsequently nailed Hopkins' mortgage broker, Frank LaMagra, on an unrelated charge and he offered to give up Donald, claiming Trump "participated" in the money-laundering — and volunteering to wear a wire on him.

Frank LaMagra was willing to wear a wire in order to help the FBI and U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani convict Donald Trump of money-laundering. Nice! Way to go! But, one problem, Rudy Giuliani was friends with Trump and did not want to have the FBI investigate Trump — so — Barrett writes:

Lombardi, who discussed the case with Giuliani personally (and with me for a 1993 Village Voice piece called "The Case of the Missing Case"), went straight to Donald for two hour-long interviews with him. Within weeks of the interviews, Donald announced he'd raise $2 million in a half hour if Rudy ran for mayor. LaMagra got no deal and was convicted, as was his mob associate, Louis (Louie HaHa) Attanasio, who was later also nailed for seven underworld murders. Hopkins was convicted of running his gambling operation partly out of the Trump Tower apartment, where he was arrested.

Wayne Barrett continues:

Lombardi — who expected a top appointment in a Giuliani mayoralty, conducted several other probes directly tied to Giuliani political opponents, and testified later that "every day I came to work I went to Mr. Giuliani to seek out what duties I needed to perform" — closed the Trump investigation without even giving it a case number. That meant that New Jersey gaming authorities would never know it existed.

Wayne Barrett’s article goes on to describe Giuliani’s corruption, his key role in using New York city taxpayer money to help Trump’s buildings. But to me, the biggest take-away from Barrett’s article is the fact that U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani ended an FBI investigation into Trump’s money-laundering scheme in exchange for Trump raising/donating, at least, $2 Million to Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral campaign.

Wayne Barrett is the author of "Rudy! An Investigative Biography" and "Trump: The Greatest Show on Earth."