NEW YORK, NY – The District of Columbia attorney ethics committee has recommended the revocation of Rudy Giuliani’s law license due to his involvement in a failed lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results on behalf of former President Donald Trump. Giuliani, a former personal lawyer to Trump, federal prosecutor, and mayor of New York City, violated two legal ethics rules with the lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania, according to the committee.
The lawsuit, which was dismissed by a federal judge, aimed to invalidate hundreds of thousands of votes following Trump’s defeat in the swing state. The D.C. panel concluded that Giuliani made unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, undermining the democratic process by challenging the fundamental principle that elections are determined by the voters.
Giuliani gained prominence as “America’s mayor” following the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York. His lawyer, Barry Kamins, expressed disappointment with the committee’s recommendation and stated plans to file an appeal.
The full D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility will now consider the committee’s recommendation, and the final decision on Giuliani’s potential disbarment will be made by the D.C. Court of Appeals. The committee conducted several days of testimony in December as part of an attorney ethics case initiated by the disciplinary arm of the D.C. bar.
Previously, Giuliani’s legal team argued that the Pennsylvania lawsuit raised valid legal issues concerning social distancing restrictions on election observers and ballot mistake correction policies in certain counties. As part of Trump’s legal strategy, Giuliani was tasked with challenging the election results, along with other lawyers who supported the Republican president and promoted unfounded claims of widespread election fraud.