In an ironic twist, former New York City Mayor and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, has been disbarred in New York. The verdict directly came from Giuliani’s tireless act of propagating false claims on the widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
The New York appeals court described his many allegations as having been made with no “good faith basis” and as intended to undercut Joe Biden’s victory. It specifically mentioned his infamous post-election press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia. And there he made several of the false statements.
Giuliani’s fall from grace has been nothing short of Shakespearean, replete with his almost ceaseless series of legal battles. He currently has active charges pending against him in Georgia and Arizona. He is an unindicted co-conspirator in the special counsel Jack Smith’s case to federal election interference against Trump, and the Board of Professional Responsibility of the D.C. Bar has recommended disbarment in Washington.
But that wasn’t the only consequence: Giuliani was also significantly tarnished. A federal judge found Giuliani liable for defamation and awarded $148 million to Georgia poll workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. His baseless accusations at a mother-daughter tag team over supposed election fraud unleashed racially charged attacks and threats upon the two women.
The disciplinary order against Giuliani cited “16 acts of falsehoods” that were intentional and done with purpose to deceive. However, Giuliani’s legal team does plan to appeal the decision. Although while his spokesman, Ted Goodman, said it is “flawed” and has been “corrupted by political and ideological bias”.
As Giuliani manages the legal and professional fallout of his actions, this landmark disbarment should stand as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of spreading misinformation and attempting to undermine democratic processes. This case should remind us how vital accountability and integrity are both in the legal profession and politics in general.
