Prosecutors in the federal election case against Donald Trump are showing an interest in the drinking habits of Rudy Giuliani, the former president's former lawyer.
Jack Smith has been asking witnesses whether Giuliani was regularly drunk on and after Election Day 2020, according to a report by the New York Times.
Sources described as close friends and associates told The Times that Giuliani's drinking had been an issue for years.
If Trump relied on a lawyer that he knew was drunk and acting recklessly, it would add to the prosecutors' argument that Trump was acting with willful recklessness in his attempts to overturn the election.
In response to the NYT article, Giuliani denied having a drinking problem.
"I do not have an alcohol problem. I have never had an alcohol problem," Giuliani said during a press conference in Concord, New Hampshire, per Politico.
"If I have an alcohol problem, I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records," Giuliani said, according to the report, citing his various accomplishments. "Nobody could have achieved that if they did [have a drinking problem]. ... I was working 24 hours a day. It's a big damn lie."
This isn't the first time Giuliani's alleged drinking habits have come up in investigations. Last year, former Trump advisor Jason Miller told the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol that Giuliani was intoxicated when he met with Trump on election night and told him to declare victory despite the election not being called yet.
Giuliani has also denied Miller's account.
Giuliani is facing mounting legal issues, including the recent RICO indictment in Georgia that also includes Trump and 17 other defendants connected to alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He's also dealing with a defamation case in Georgia, a lawsuit from his former associate Noelle Dunphy and a lawsuit from voting machine companies Dominion and Smartmatic.