A New York appellate court has ruled that Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Guiliani can no longer practice law in New York.
The court suspended Giuliani’s law license after a panel concluded he made ‘demonstrably false’ statements regarding the 2020 election that Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden.
‘[W]e conclude 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,’ the 33-page decision read.
It claimed that Giulani, a former New York mayor threatened ‘public interest’ in his capacity as Trump’s personal attorney and insisted his actions ‘warrant interim suspension from the practice of law.’
Giuliani helped lead the former president’s legal challenge to the 2020 presidential election results, arguing the vote was riddled with fraud while claiming voting machines had been rigged in favor of Joe Biden.
Giuliani was admitted to the state bar in New York in 1969 and had a successful legal career before joining Trump’s team including working in the Justice Department under Ronald Reagan.
He was named U.S. Attorney in Manhattan in 1983 where he remained through 1989 before running and becoming Mayor of New York City.
On January 11 2021, the New York Bar Association announced that it was launching an investigation into whether Giuliani’s membership should be revoked, noting his comments on January 6 to a crowd of Trump supporters before they stormed the Capitol.
The association also said it had ‘received hundreds of complaints in recent months about Mr. Giuliani and his baseless efforts on behalf of President Trump to cast doubt on the authenticity of the 2020 presidential election and, after the votes were cast, to overturn its legitimate results.’
Giuliani is also being investigated for his foreign dealings with Ukraine.
Although removal from the Bar Association membership does not disbar Giuliani, the ruling Thursday does stop him from practicing law in New York.