Link , Link , Link , Link , Link , Link , Link , [Former officials said that Giuliani's proximity to Trump, both men's personality traits, their eagerness to dig up dirt on political opponents, and their unwillingness to acknowledge Russian influence made them a gold mine for foreign operatives to exploit. "This is the most recent edition of what we've seen over four years now with the Trump administration," Steve Hall, the former chief of Russia operations at the CIA, told Business Insider. He compared Giuliani to Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor who was one of Trump's most active surrogates during the 2016 campaign.]