In a significant blow to his legal career, Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and ally of Donald Trump, has been disbarred in New York State, the New York Post reports. The state appeals court's decision on Tuesday immediately stripped Giuliani of his license to practice law and ordered "his name stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law."
The ruling comes as a further setback for the 80-year-old Giuliani, once hailed as "America's Mayor" in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. The court found that Giuliani repeatedly made false claims about the 2020 presidential election while representing Trump and his campaign.
According to the New York Post, the First Department decision stated that Giuliani "flagrantly misused" his position to make false statements, "some of which were perjurious," and "baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country's electoral process." The court added that he "actively contributed to the national strife that has followed the 2020 presidential election, for which he is entirely unrepentant."
The New York Post reports that New York's Attorney Grievance Committee brought 22 charges against Giuliani in February 2023, accusing him of lying or misleading "courts, lawmakers, and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection to Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020."
Finally, actual accountability: Rudy Giuliani's been disbarred "effective immediately" in NY for his criminal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election for his now convicted felon boss #electionsmatter https://t.co/7kvqjBwjIS
— nataliehb 🟧 (@nataliehb) July 2, 2024
The disciplinary probe examined 16 false statements made by Giuliani, including claims made under oath. For instance, he falsely told the Missouri state legislature in December 2020 that there were over 2,000 court affidavits attesting to first-hand knowledge of election fraud.
Giuliani's political advisor, Ted Goodman, criticized the decision, telling the New York Post, "We will be appealing this objectively flawed decision in hopes that the appellate process will restore integrity into our system of justice."
The disbarment follows the suspension of Giuliani's New York law license in 2021. Giuliani, who was admitted to the New York bar in 1969 and served as Manhattan US Attorney from 1983 through 1989, has pleaded not guilty to two criminal indictments for allegedly interfering in the 2020 election and filed for bankruptcy in December after being hit with a $148 million judgment for defaming Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss.
The former mayor's legal troubles extend beyond his disbarment. His creditors in the bankruptcy case are asking a judge to appoint a trustee to oversee his financial affairs, claiming Giuliani has been misusing money that should be going towards paying off his debts.
Giuliani's lawyer recently disclosed that the former mayor is suffering from a "possible" 9/11-related lung disease, suggesting that his age and health will make it difficult for him to find work.
As the New York Post notes, Giuliani lost his job on WABC, where he hosted a radio show, in May for continuing to claim on air that the 2020 election was "stolen," breaking with company policy according to station owner John Catsimatidis.
