Trump prosecutors are probing whether he took advice from ‘intoxicated’ Rudy Giuliani on election night – as aides say former mayor’s drinking has become a ‘concern’

The special counsel in Donald Trump’s federal election case is investigating whether he sought advice from a drunken Rudy Giuliani on election night 2020, and whether the former mayor’s apparent heavy drinking led him to give other compromised advice.

a New York Times report on Wednesday morning quotes former aides and friends as saying Giuliani’s drinking has been a “concern” for nearly a decade.

His constant drunkenness is now so predictable, the Times reports, that bartenders at his favorite cigar lounge in Midtown Manhattan signal when he’s had too much to drink by holding back an empty hand as if to mimic him.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Trump overlooked Giuliani’s drunkenness and followed his advice on rejecting the election results

He has been seen drinking whiskey before interviews with Fox News, they claim, and he has also been drunk at 9/11 anniversary events and parties at his home.

The Times reports that Giuliani’s drinking has long been a problem, but is now particularly concerning given his mounting legal troubles.

According to sources close to the investigation, special counsel Jack Smith has now questioned witnesses about how much Giuliani drank when he advised Trump on election night and in the weeks that followed, as the pair continued to deny the outcome.

They are curious whether Trump overlooked or ignored Giuliani’s “habitual drunkenness.”

It could damage any attempt by Trump to argue that he was simply following his lawyer’s advice if prosecutors can prove that Trump knew Giuliani was drunk.

Giuliani’s attorney, Adam Katz, did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment on the liquor claims on Wednesday.

Stephen Colbert poked fun at Giulaini’s taste in alcohol during his late night show in 2019

Giulaini toasts with Prince Andrew in February 2002 after receiving an honorary knighthood

His political adviser Ted Goodman told the Times: “I have been in regular contact with the mayor over the past year, and the idea that he is an alcoholic is an outright lie.

“(It has) become fashionable in certain circles to smear the mayor in an effort to stay in the good graces of New York’s so-called ‘high society’ and the cocktail circuit in Washington, DC.”

“The Rudy Giuliani you all see today is the same man who took down the Mafia, cleaned up the streets of New York and comforted the nation after September 11.”

In a 2021 NBC interview, Giuliani said, “I’m not an alcoholic. I function – I probably function more effectively than 90 percent of the population.”

However, Andrew Stein, the former Democratic New York City Council chairman charged with tax evasion, insists Giuliani’s drinking is a problem.

“It’s not a secret, and I’m not doing him any favors by not mentioning that problem, because he has it. “It’s actually one of the saddest things I can think of in politics,” he said.

Last year, Giuliani refuted that he had been drunk on election night in a series of now-deleted tweets.

Giuliani previously denied he was drunk on election night in a series of now-deleted tweets

It came after Trump campaign staffers Jason Miller and Bill Stepien testified about his apparent drunkenness.

“(Giuliani) was certainly drunk, but I was not aware of his intoxication when he spoke to the president,” Miller testified.

He said Giuliani made “suggestions” to “declare victory (that night).”

“I remember saying that we shouldn’t start declaring victory until we had a better feel for the numbers. I think Mayor Giuliani basically said, “We won. They’re stealing it from us, we have to start saying we won.”

Giuliani denied Miller’s description, tweeting: “I am disgusted and outraged by Jason Miller and Bill Steppien’s outright lie. I was angry that they were not prepared for the massive deception (as were other lawyers around the president). I refused all alcohol that night. My favorite drink…Diet Pepsi.”