Plan B Forum

Rudy Giuliani Suspended From Practicing Law in New York

Rudy Giuliani has been suspended from practicing law in the state of New York.

The Supreme Court of the State of New York has ordered Giuliani to desist and refrain from practicing law in any form "until such time as disciplinary matters pending before the Committee have been concluded" after a petition was brought forth by the Attorney Grievances Committee (AGC) for the First Judicial Department.

The AGC was seeking to strip Giuliani of his ability to practice law due to his involvement in a series of election lawsuits filed on behalf of former President Donald Trump's campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

On Thursday, the court sided with AGC, concluding that "there is uncontroverted evidence that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020."

"These false statements were made to improperly bolster respondent's narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client," the decision read.

The appellate court said in a 33-page decision that Giuliani's conduct threatened "the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law."

The attorney now faces disciplinary proceedings and can fight the suspension, but the court suggested that he would likely face "permanent sanctions" after the proceedings conclude.

In response to the suspension, Giuliani's lawyers, John Leventhal and Barry Kamin, said they were disappointed the panel did not hold a hearing on the allegations prior to issuing the decision.

"This is unprecedented as we believe that our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest," they said in a Thursday statement. "We believe that once the issues are fully explored at a hearing, Mr. Giuliani will be reinstated as a valued member of the legal profession that he has served so well in his many capacities for so many years."

Giuliani was admitted to practice as an attorney in New York on June 25, 1969, and he maintains an office within the First Judicial Department.

As a lawyer, Giuliani was well-known for leading the federal prosecution of New York City Mafia bosses in the 1980s, which led to the conviction of eight organized crime figures. He served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1983 to 1989 before rising to national prominence as the mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001.

However, he has become widely scrutinized in the legal field over recent years, specifically for his dealings in Ukraine before the 2020 election as a way to damage President Joe Biden's campaign. Those efforts are currently being investigated by federal prosecutors in the same Manhattan office he once led.

In April, FBI agents raided Giuliani's Manhattan apartment and office and seized his cellphones and computers in connection to the investigation.