The destruction of Rudy Giuliani is now fully underway
Finally, we are beginning to see some justice in the world. Rudy Giuliani’s license has been suspended. The court declared Giuliani a liar and debunked the “Big Lie” (again). Elections have consequences, and so does lying, at least for lawyers.
Giuliani’s repeated lies violated one of the most important ethics rules. Lawyers have a bad enough reputation, and they do not need liars running around rampant, especially liars who contributed to the assault on our Capitol on January 6. The Court of Appeals ruled that there was “uncontroverted evidence” that Giuliani “communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers, and the public at large,” reiterating that lying is a big deal when it comes to ethics rules. The Court further said that when lawyers lie, “it erodes the public’s confidence in the integrity of attorneys admitted to our bar and damages the profession’s role as a crucial source of reliable information.”
Giuliani tried to mitigate his situation by claiming the grievance investigation violated his First Amendment right to free speech, but free speech does not award a license to lie, especially for an attorney. He then made matters worse by claiming he did not know his statements were false. Yeah, right. He knew damned well that everything surrounding the “Big Lie” was just that—a lie. The Court went even farther, according to Reuters, which quoted the Court: “This country is being torn apart by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and of our current president, Joseph R. Biden.” This is so shameful for Giuliani but also well deserved.
A review of the New York Bar Association site reveals a message from Bar President T. Andrew Brown, confirming that Giuliani has been removed from their rolls. While we would love to see Giuliani disbarred rather than suspended, this message does not imply that, and it is typical to remove suspended attorneys. He will be reinstated once his suspension ends unless the Court determines to make his absence permanent. Giuliani, of course, is non-repentant. Reuters reported that Giuliani called the decision “one sided” and brought up Democrats as adding to his problems with the Ukraine probe. Rudy Giuliani is a 77-year-old man who made the decision to get involved in Trump’s bullshit. As the cliché goes, he made his bed, and now, he must lie in it.
Reuters reported that the suspension is temporary pending the conclusion of the investigation. Giuliani’s lawyers told the press that they believe that he will be reinstated as “a valued member of the legal profession that he has served so well.” Giuliani has served nothing or no one other than Donald Trump. Why he chose to risk a 30-year career to perpetrate a fantasy for someone who could care less about him or anyone else will likely remain a mystery.
Things are not looking good for Giuliani. He remains under criminal investigation for his Ukraine dealings by Manhattan prosecutors. He can be outraged all he likes, but if Manhattan prosecutors are successful, he can kiss his license (and freedom) goodbye. It could not happen to a nicer guy.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years