Rudy Giuliani disbarred over 'false and misleading' statements on 2020 election

The former New York City mayor has lost his law license.

ByAaron Katersky ABCNews logo
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Rudy Giuliani, former NYC mayor and Trump lawyer, disbarred by federal judge
Former NYC Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred for his role in pushing false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

Rudy Giuliani's association with former President Donald Trump has cost him his law license.

Giuliani was disbarred on Tuesday in a decision handed down by the Appellate Division First Department in New York.

The ruling is a consequence of Giuliani's "demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers, and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020."

Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani talks to reporters as he leaves after his defamation trial in Washington, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.
Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani talks to reporters as he leaves after his defamation trial in Washington, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Giuliani claimed he believed the statements at the time he was making them but the court was not persuaded.

The decision added, "Contrary to respondent's allegations, there is nothing on the record before us that would permit the conclusion that respondent lacked knowledge of the falsehood of the numerous statements that he made, and that he had a good faith basis to believe them to be true."

As a lawyer, the decision said, Giuliani should have known better.

"The seriousness of respondent's misconduct cannot be overstated," the ruling said. "[R]espondent not only deliberately violated some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession, but he also actively contributed to the national strife that has followed the 2020 Presidential election, for which he is entirely unrepentant."

Giuliani, several allies of Trump and alleged fake electors pleaded not guilty in May in a Maricopa County, Arizona, court for their alleged efforts to overturn the election results in that state.

The former NYC mayor that same month agreed to cease accusations of election fraud against two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 judgment after a judge found him guilty of defaming the two women.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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