Rudy Giuliani’s Former Lawyers (Including One of His Longtime Friends) Sue Him for Nearly $1.4 Million in Unpaid Legal Fees
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Rudy Giuliani is having yet another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, after his former law firm — including one attorney who is a longtime friend of his — sued him for nearly $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees.
The complaint was filed in Manhattan state court Monday by two plaintiffs, the Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP law firm and attorney Robert Costello, whose friendship with Giuliani dates back to the 1970s when they were both prosecutors in the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.
News of the lawsuit was first reported by Insider’s Jack Newsham and Jacob Shamsian, whose recap of Costello’s representation for Giuliani also serves as a summary of the astounding depths of legal troubles in which the former New York City mayor has been mired in recent years:
Costello represented Giuliani from 2019 until this summer, the suit says. He advised Giuliani on special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, a criminal probe by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, prosecutor Fani Willis’ investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, a Congressional inquiry, attorney disciplinary proceedings that could cost Giuliani his license to practice law, and more than 10 civil lawsuits.
According to the complaint, Giuliani racked up a legal bill “for fees and expenses that totaled $1,574,196.10,” but “has paid only $214,000 of the total bill leaving a total of $1,360,196.10 outstanding.” Giuliani’s most recent payment was for $10,000 on September 14, 2023.
The complaint also argues that the retainer agreement Giuliani signed “provides that in the event Plaintiffs commence a legal proceeding in order to recover legal fees and disbursements, Plaintiffs shall be awarded their reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees,” meaning that if the law firm and Costello prevail in their lawsuit, their legal fees and expenses for filing this lawsuit would be added to the nearly $1.4 million they’re already demanding from Giuliani.
Even before this lawsuit, reports were swirling about Giuliani’s financial woes. In addition to being named a co-defendant along with former President Donald Trump over the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Giuliani has been sued multiple times in civil court for a variety of claims that include a former employee accusing him of raping and abusing her and a defamation lawsuit filed by two Georgia election workers.
That latter case has all but ended except for the matter of how harsh the total damages award will be. Last month the judge issued a brutal order against Giuliani, not only declaring a default judgment against him and a six-figure fine for failure to comply with discovery, but also issuing a warning about further sanctions if he continues to fail to comply with court orders.
It’s not known if either Giuliani or Costello would still describe the other as a “friend;” Costello and Giuliani’s spokesman Ted Goodman did not reply to Insider’s request for comment.
