Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred “effective immediately” for his efforts to defraud the country and put up a slate of fake pro-Trump electors, a panel of judges in a New York state appeals court ruled Tuesday, The Hill reported.
The former mayor and Trump personal attorney was initially suspended from practicing law while the New York court weighed discipline proceedings against him, CNN reported. Now the verdict is in: “The seriousness of [his] misconduct cannot be overstated,” the court wrote.
In its decision, the court said that Giuliani “essentially conceded” most facts that support the alleged acts of misconduct. Instead, he argued that he “lacked knowledge” that he was making false statements and claimed to have good reason to “support his claim that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen from his client,” The Washington Post reported.
The court found that the former mob prosecutor “falsely and dishonestly” made claims that thousands of votes were cast in the name of dead people in Philadelphia. He also falsely claimed that people from nearby Camden, New Jersey, were taken to vote illegally in the Pennsylvania city, the court stated.
The New York’s Appellate Division, First Department ruled that Giuliani “flagrantly misused” his position as Trump’s former attorney and his campaign to create “intentionally” false statements “some of which were perjurious, to the federal court, state lawmakers, the public, the AGC, and this Court concerning the 2020 Presidential election, in which he baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country’s electoral process.”
“In so doing, respondent not only deliberately violated some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession, but he also actively contributed to the national strife that has followed the 2020 Presidential election, for which he is entirely unrepentant,” it read.
Arthur Aidala, Giuliani’s attorney, said they were “obviously disappointed,” but not altogether that surprised. He maintained that they “put up a valiant” effort” to prevent the outcome from turning out the way it did but “we saw the writing on the wall,” the Post reported.
A spokesperson from Giuliani's camp blasted the decision, calling it "politically and ideologically corrupted," adding that the former mayor plans to appeal an "objectively flawed decision."
