Rudy Giuliani Faces Disbarment Over ‘Frivolous’ 2020 Election Lawsuit: ‘Unparalleled In Its Destructive Purpose’
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility Ad Hoc Hearing Committee recommended that Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and attorney for Donald Trump, be disbarred for a frivolous lawsuit he filed in an effort to keep Trump in the White House after the 2020 election.
“Disciplinary Counsel proved by clear and convincing evidence that Mr. Giuliani violated Rules 3.1 and 8.4(d). He violated Pennsylvania Rule 3.1 by filing a lawsuit seeking to change the result of the 2020 presidential election when he had no factual basis, and consequently no legitimate legal grounds, to do so. His prosecution of the lawsuit also seriously undermined the administration of justice and violated Pennsylvania Rule 8.4(d),” reads the report. It continued:
The right to vote is the “essence of a democratic society.” . Respondent’s frivolous lawsuit attempted unjustifiably and without precedent to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania voters, and ultimately sought to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election. He claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence of it. By prosecuting that destructive case Mr. Giuliani, a sworn officer of the Court, forfeited his right to practice law. He should be disbarred.
The committee found that Giuliani’s “frivolous” lawsuit on behalf of the Trump campaign “had no factual support,” and “caused an astonishing waste of the resources of the District Court, the Third Circuit, and multiple defendants in a compressed time frame.”
In explaining its advocacy for disbarment, the committee also cited Giuliani’s “dishonesty,” his lack of remorse, and the significant consequences of Giuliani’s actions.
“We cannot blind ourselves to the broader context in which Mr. Giuliani’s misconduct took place,” it argued. “It was calculated to undermine the basic premise of our democratic form of government: that elections are determined by the voters. The Pennsylvania claims were carefully calibrated to blend into a nationwide cascade of litigation intended to overturn the presidential election.”
The committee continued:
The misconduct here sadly transcends all his past accomplishments. It was unparalleled in its destructive purpose and effect. He sought to disrupt a presidential election and persists in his refusal to acknowledge the wrong he has done. For these reasons, we unanimously recommend that Mr. Giuliani be disbarred.
Ted Goodman, a political advisor to Giuliani, responded to the committee’s report on his client’s behalf in a statement issued to Mediaite:
The DC Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility’s Ad Hoc Hearing Committee is persecuting Mayor Rudy Giuliani on behalf of the permanent corrupt regime in Washington.
This is also part of a larger effort to deny President Trump effective counsel by persecuting Mayor Giuliani—objectively one of the most effective prosecutors in American history.
I call on rank-and-file members of the DC Bar Association to speak up in defense of Mayor Giuliani and against this great injustice.
Earlier this week, Lin Wood, another high-profile attorney and advocate of the stolen election conspiracy theory, agreed to retire rather than face disbarment.
