A New York Supreme Court panel on Thursday suspended Rudy Giuliani’s law license over “demonstrably false and misleading statements” he made disputing the 2020 election on behalf of former President Donald Trump, The New York Times reports.
The panel suspended Giuliani’s license based on a recommendation of a disciplinary committee that found he mislead judges, lawmakers, and the public in his months-long quest to overturn Trump’s election loss.
The court said in a 33-page decision that Giuliani’s efforts were an “immediate threat” to the public that “directly inflamed” tensions ahead of the January 6 Capitol riot.
“The seriousness of respondent’s uncontroverted misconduct cannot be overstated,” the decision said. “This country is being torn apart by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and of our current president, Joseph R. Biden.”
Giuliani faces disciplinary proceeding:
Giuliani now faces disciplinary proceedings where he can fight the suspension.
But the court’s decision warned that Giuliani was likely to face “permanent sanctions.”
The process, which is typically closed to the public, could take months, according to the Times.
Giuliani’s attorneys said in a statement that they expect Giuliani to be reinstated.
“This is unprecedented as we believe that our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest,” they said. “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 hit with multiple ethics complaints:
The decision came after Giuliani faced three ethics complaints that were filed publicly.
Giuliani is also licensed in Washington D.C., and the New York decision could trigger disciplinary proceedings there as well.
Giuliani is also under an unrelated investigation by federal prosecutors in New York, who are looking at whether he illegally lobbied on behalf of Ukrainian oligarchs and officials while representing Trump.
Trump, who refused to pay Giuliani for his work on the election legal battles, defended his former lawyer.
“Can you believe that New York wants to strip Rudy Giuliani, a great American Patriot, of his law license because he has been fighting what has already been proven to be a Fraudulent Election?” he wrote.
