Status: 24.06.2021 9:36 p.m.
Probably no one was such a visible ally for ex-US President Trump during the election campaign and afterwards as his lawyer Giuliani. Because of “false and misleading statements”, however, he has now lost his license.
A New York court suspended the bar license of Trump confidante Rudy Giuliani because of his role after the 2020 US presidential election. As a lawyer for Trump and his election campaign team, Giuliani had “demonstrably made false and misleading statements to courts, legislators and the public”.
The 77-year-old’s behavior endangers the public interest, so that a repeal is justified until the pending proceedings are finally ended. The suspension of the bar license applies to the state of New York.
Alleged vote stolen by Democrats with no evidence
Trump hired Giuliani in mid-November to lead legal efforts against the result of the presidential election and the victory of Democrat Joe Biden. The lawyer and former New York mayor repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Trump was deprived of victory over Biden as a result of a vote steal organized by the Democratic Party. Several lawsuits filed by Trump attorneys in various states failed due to a lack of evidence.
The New York court also concluded on Thursday that Giuliani’s statements had fueled tension in the United States prior to the January 6th storming of the Capitol: “The gravity of the defendant’s undisputed misconduct cannot be overstated.” The US would be “torn apart” by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the elections and on President Biden.
Prominent fellow lawyers applied
The request for his license to be revoked had been submitted by a number of prominent lawyers. Giuliani can appeal the decision, but the court pointed out that at the end of such proceedings he would face “substantial permanent penalties”.
Giuliani is also currently at the center of an investigation into allegations of unfair lobbying in the US for Ukrainian customers.
Giuliani is a loyal companion of Trump, but got him into trouble several times. He was a central figure in the Ukraine affair that sparked impeachment proceedings against Trump. Giuliani had also actively sought to get Ukraine to investigate Trump’s ultimately victorious challenger Biden.