A Washington legal ethics committee that oversaw a disciplinary case last year against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani is recommending that the latter be disbarred for allegedly spreading false election fraud claims.
The recommendation on Friday was made over Giuliani's "unparalleled" attempts to overturn the 2020 election to support former United States President Donald Trump. The panel wrote in its recommendation that Giuliani's efforts to "undermine the integrity" of the election played a factor in the destabilization of the nation's democracy.
Calls for Rudy Giuliani's Disbarment
The panel from the D.C. Bar's Board on professional responsibility said that Giuliani's actions caused "lasting damage" to the oath to support the U.S. Constitution that he had sworn at the time that he was admitted to the bar.
While the panel acknowledged Giuliani's record of public service over the years, it also noted that all of those services happened a long time ago. It added that the misconduct in recent times transcends all of his past accomplishments, as per the New York Times.
It added that Giuliani sought to disrupt a presidential election and persists in his refusal to acknowledge the wrong that he had done. The hearing in front of the ethics committee in December last year was focused on the role that Giuliani played in bringing a lawsuit in the Federal District Court in Philadelphia that sought to block the certification of the election results in Pennsylvania.
The federal judge at that hearing dismissed the lawsuit, comparing it to a "Frankenstein's monster" that was pieced together haphazardly. Later, a federal appeals court upheld the dismissal that was ordered by a Trump-appointed judge. The latter noted that calling an election unfair does not make it a fact.
The Washington legal ethics committee also determined that the former Trump attorney filed the suit despite not having any factual bases and no legitimate legal grounds. The panel argued that Giuliani claimed massive election fraud but was not able to show evidence to support his accusations.
The committee's members deliberated for several months after hearings that lasted a week where they heard testimonies from Giuliani and several of his close associates. Additionally, Trump waived attorney-client privilege to permit his former attorney to discuss the matters, according to Politico.
Spreading False Election Fraud Claims
Giuliani now plans to challenge the panel's findings and recommended sanction in front of a larger bar-discipline board. The D.C. Court of Appeals would ultimately be in charge of handing out the final decision on the disbarment.
One of Giuliani's attorneys, Barry Kamins, said in the bar proceedings that they were disappointed by the committee's decision. However, he added that they were looking forward to filing a vigorous appeal.
Hamilton P. Fox III, who was the one who argued against Giuliani regarding the Pennsylvania election results, said that the former Trump attorney "weaponized" his law license. He added that the latter undermined the legitimacy of a presidential election as well as the basic premise of the democratic system.
While the Washington legal ethics committee could not clearly and convincingly determine that Giuliani intentionally lied, his claims of election fraud were considered to be false and reckless, said the Washington Post.
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