Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyer, said AT&T intercepted his telephone calls as part of the impeachment investigation and called it "completely illegal and horrific" that the Democrats were trying to keep him from defending his client. 

That came in an interview with conservative cable outlet Newsmax. 

Asked by Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy whether he was shocked that AT&T had turned over the records without notifying him, Giuliani said he would think they [it was unclear whether he was referring to AT&T or Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee] would have at least tried to determine if they were violating attorney-client privilege." 

The phone records of Giuliani calls with the President were used in the Intelligence Committee's impeachment report and were shared "without the President’s knowledge or permission." 

The subpoenaing of phone records was also invoked repeatedly in the House Judiciary hearing Monday (Dec. 9), where numerous Republicans talked about the Democrats publishing phone conversations of private citizens, including journalists and Giuliani. 

Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) said he had a big problem with members of Congress being able to subpoenae the records of private citizens willy nilly without any kind of cause," then publishing it. He called that "a clear abuse of power on the part of the people prosecuting the impeachment." 

"Like all companies, we are required by law to provide information to government and law enforcement agencies," said AT&T in a statement. "In all cases, we ensure that requests for assistance are valid and that we act in compliance with the law." 

Mediacom Communications founder, chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso was recently recognized for his humanitarian efforts, receiving top honors from the Ellis Island Foundation and his alma mater, Mount Saint Michael Academy.

Commisso, who has given generously to several private and public institutions over the years, was awarded the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, joining 100 other recipients including retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, talk show host Meredith Vieira, New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, U.S. Navy Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III, and Washington, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier in a ceremony at the historic landmark on May 9.

The Ellis Island Medals of Honor were established in 1986 and rank among the most prestigious civilian honors in the country. The award recognizes individuals who share with those less fortunate their knowledge, courage, compassion, unique talents and generosity, all while maintaining the traditions of their ethnic heritage as they uphold the ideals and spirit of America. Past recipients include six U.S. Presidents; Nobel Prize recipient Elie Wiesel; Generals Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell and Raymond Odierno; Hon. Hillary Clinton; Sen. John McCain; Muhammad Ali; Frank Sinatra; Barbara Walters; Mike Wallace; and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Commisso was lauded for, among other things, providing college scholarships to 1,300 students nationwide.  During his remarks, Commisso described the struggles his family faced in war-torn Italy in the 1950’s. He thanked America for opening its doors to his father, a World War II prisoner of war, and for giving his family boundless opportunities to succeed by simply working hard, pursuing an education, and relying on self-initiative to get ahead.

On Thursday evening (May 14) Commisso is scheduled to be inducted into Mount St. Michael Academy’s “Legends of the Mount,” with five other alumni at a ceremony at the New York Athletic Club in Pelham, N.Y.  

Commisso, a graduate of the school in the 1960s, established the Rocco B. Commisso American Dream Fund at the school in 2014 to provide a number of scholarships to Mount students for the next 50 years.