Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and personal lawyer to Donald Trump, has been disbarred in New York after a state appeals court found he repeatedly made false statements about Trump’s 2020 election loss. The court ruled that Giuliani ‘baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country’s electoral process’ and ‘actively contributed to the national strife that followed the 2020 presidential election’.The disbarment, effective immediately, prohibits Giuliani from practicing law ‘in any form’ in New York. The court’s decision stated that ‘the gravity of the misconduct cannot be overstated’. Giuliani, 80, was found to have ‘falsely and dishonestly’ claimed that thousands of votes were cast in the names of dead people in Philadelphia and that people were taken from nearby Camden, New Jersey, to vote illegally in Pennsylvania.This decision comes after Giuliani’s law license was initially suspended in June 2021 following the January 6, 2021 US Capitol attack. Giuliani is facing multiple legal battles, including criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He was also recently ordered to pay $148 million in damages for defaming two Georgia election workers.Giuliani’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, expressed disappointment but not surprise at the court’s ruling. Giuliani himself has vowed to appeal the decision, accusing the judges of being ‘politically motivated’. The former mayor’s fall from grace is particularly stark given his once-celebrated status as a symbol of resilience following the 9/11 attacks.The disbarment of Giuliani, a key figure in promoting false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, marks a significant development in the ongoing legal and political fallout from attempts to overturn the election results.
Key points
- Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in New York for making false statements about the 2020 election.
- The disbarment is effective immediately and prohibits Giuliani from practicing law ‘in any form’ in New York.
- Giuliani faces multiple legal battles, including criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona, and a $148 million defamation judgment.
- Giuliani has vowed to appeal the decision, calling it politically motivated.
Contradictions👾While most sources report that Giuliani has been disbarred, some use the term ‘lost his law license’.
This difference in terminology might cause confusion, though both effectively mean Giuliani can no longer practice law in New York.
