President Donald Trump’s embattled personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, fresh off of a continued effort to dig up dirt in Ukraine, made waves by showing up at the White House on Friday as the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee was about to vote along party lines on two articles of impeachment against the president: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The timing was the first but not the only aspect of this appearance that evoked a response. Some immediately commented that something more sinister was afoot, as, indeed, Giuliani returned from Ukraine days ago with promises of a 20-page report on his findings.

To be clear: President Trump is accused of abusing his power by inviting foreign interference in the 2020 election. The impeachment inquiry focuses on the withholding of congressionally appropriated military aid in order to get Ukraine to announce investigations of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, and their connection to the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. The president also sought an investigation of the debunked CrowdStrike conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 election. Giuliani just returned from a trip to Ukraine that was an open attempt to bolster the case for seeking such investigations.

“‘What did you get?’” Trump asked Giuliani by phone on Saturday. “More than you can imagine,” Giuliani answered.

Is that a folder — or a dossier, if you will — tucked under Giuliani’s arm?

Spotted by our @maeganvaz: Rudy Giuliani arriving at the WH minutes before the House Judiciary is set to vote on articles of impeachment. pic.twitter.com/v1AKvDtdsb — Allie Malloy (@AlliemalCNN) December 13, 2019

MSNBC legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah called the scene “surreal.”

Mafia in action at the White House. This is just so surreal. https://t.co/FBizu10kLK — Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) December 13, 2019

“Mafia in action at the White House,” she said.

CNN analysts and anchors also jumped into the fray, noting that Giuliani was doing all of this while a counterintelligence investigation and an investigation by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are active.

Ask yourself what kind of President opens the WH gates to a man under counterintelligence investigation? Hope Rudy left his phone at home. Otherwise a lot of people are probably listening to his WH meetings. https://t.co/S6AbkHxr7K — Sam Vinograd (@sam_vinograd) December 13, 2019

Trump has been emboldened, not chastened, by impeachment. His personal attorney is at the WH right now after his trip to Ukraine to continue to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, the heart of this impeachment itself. And GOP is no longer lodging any protest. This is the reality for 2020. pic.twitter.com/Qhfs1CyJjD — Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) December 13, 2019

Some were stumped as to what to call this scene.

Legal eagles (@AshaRangappa_ @eliehonig @Mimirocah1 and others ) — what do you call it when someone who should be a witness in an investigation is communicating with (and coaching?) the target of the investigation on what to say? — Sam Vinograd (@sam_vinograd) December 13, 2019

I’m not aware of any word for this (which tells you something). — Elie Honig (@eliehonig) December 13, 2019

Others were not.

Not any of the folks you listed, but I'd call it a conspiracy — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 13, 2019

https://twitter.com/Mimirocah1/status/1205518168854290432?s=20

In theory could be obstruction, but generally you can’t keep conspirators from communicating (even when they’re defendants they enter joint defense agreements to collaborate). You just document it and when appropriate argue they had the opportunity to get their stories straight. — Jennifer Rodgers (@JenGRodgers) December 13, 2019

You can watch the historic vote to approve the articles of impeachment below.

These articles will next get the attention of the full House. If everything goes as expected there, a Senate trial with a preordained outcome will occur and President Trump will not be removed from office.

[Image via Image via Drew Angerer/Getty Images]

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