Rudy Giuliani was suspended from practicing law in New York on Thursday after a judge determined that while working as a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, he distributed misleading information about the 2020 presidential election, which directly threatened the public's interest.
In the decision, the New York appeals court claimed that there is uncontroverted evidence, proving that Giuliani communicated false and deceptive claims to courts, legislatures, and the general public in his efforts to reverse Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election. The judgment barred Giuliani, a U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York, from practicing law in the state but did not revoke his law license.
Although Giuliani's dismissal from the Bar Association does not disbar him, the decision on Thursday does restrict him from practicing law in New York. Giuliani is also embroiled in a series of legal issues that emerged when he was still serving time the Trump administration, particularly his dealings with Ukraine.
The Attorney Grievance Committee of the state's First Judicial Department, which has authority over Manhattan attorneys, initiated the action.
Rudy Giuliani was licensed to the New York state bar in 1969 and had a distinguished legal career before joining Trump's team, including serving in the Ronald Reagan administration's Justice Department. In 1983, he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position he held until 1989 when he ran for and was elected Mayor of New York City.
The New York State Bar Association said on January 11, 2021, that it will investigate whether Giuliani's membership should be canceled, citing his remarks to a crowd of Trump supporters before they stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Rudy Giuliani's son mocks the court's ruling
Rudy Giuliani's lawyers, both former judges, said they anticipated their client to be reinstated after a complete hearing. Per NBC New York, John Leventhal and Barry Kamins said in a statement, "We are disappointed with the Appellate Division, First Department's decision suspending Mayor Giuliani prior to being afforded a hearing on the alleged issues. This is unprecedented as we believe that our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest."
Rudy Giuliani's son, Andrew Giuliani, a former Trump adviser and current Republican gubernatorial candidate in New York, posted a statement and a video criticizing the "5 Leftist judges" who revoked his father's license. The court, on the other hand, was harsh in its criticism of Rudy Giuliani's behavior, essentially suggesting that it couldn't trust him not to lie.
The decision came almost two months after federal officials executed search warrants at Giuliani's home and office as part of their continuing investigation into his actions in Ukraine. Based on the judgment, Giuliani misrepresented the nature of a court action regarding the Pennsylvania election, in which he made fraud-related arguments even though no fraud charges were filed.
Additional allegations against Giuliani include unsubstantiated statements he made about large numbers of underage voters, dead voters, and votes cast by ineligible convicted felons. Statements that Georgia ballots were manipulated by voting machines and statements alleging that varying numbers of illegal immigrants voted in Arizona unless these state investigations are proven otherwise.
Giuliani stated that he did not make any misleading comments. The suspension is interim, meaning it will last until entire disciplinary procedures against him are completed. The court acknowledged that this is a harsh step, but it believes it is necessary for the face of an "immediate threat to the public interest," as per Fox News.
Trump reacts over Rudy Giuliani's license suspension
After his former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was forced to quit practicing law in the state, former President Donald Trump said that he thinks the entire state of New York is out of control. Defending Rudy Giuliani on Thursday after his legal license was revoked by a New York appeal court for his support of the former president's voting fraud accusations, Trump said the attorney is "untouchable."
Trump is comparing Giuliani to Eliot Ness, a notorious Bureau of Prohibition agent who helped bring down iconic criminal Al Capone in the 1920s and 1930s. Ness was also a member of the infamous Chicago cops known as The Untouchables and co-wrote an autobiography with the same title.
On Twitter, Giuliani criticized the decision and distanced himself from allegations, instead of posting about a Trump fan who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police Officer during the incident earlier this year, Daily Mail reported.
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