Lawyers Argue Against Disbarment Over Trump’s Election Lawsuit
Rudy Giuliani’s legal team made an emotional plea on Thursday, urging a disciplinary board in Washington, D.C., to dismiss a recommendation seeking the revocation of Giuliani’s law license. The recommendation was prompted by his involvement in a failed federal lawsuit challenging the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Pennsylvania. Giuliani, previously known as President Donald Trump’s lawyer, a prominent Manhattan federal prosecutor, and a former mayor of New York City, had minimal influence on the lawsuit targeting hundreds of thousands of votes in the swing state, according to his lawyers.
Giuliani’s Limited Involvement in the Controversial Lawsuit
During the proceedings, John Leventhal, a retired New York state judge representing Giuliani, argued that the Pennsylvania lawsuit was inherently flawed from the outset, leaving Giuliani with little room for improvement when he joined the case. “The complaint could have been better,” Leventhal conceded, emphasizing Giuliani’s limited control over the lawsuit’s direction.
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The Disciplinary Board’s Scrutiny
The disciplinary board is assessing a committee recommendation made in July that proposes Giuliani’s disbarment due to his alleged violation of two legal ethics rules by pursuing a “frivolous” lawsuit. The committee found that Giuliani had made sweeping claims of voter fraud without sufficient evidence.
Hamilton “Phil” Fox, the head of the D.C. disciplinary office that filed the charges, argued that anything less than disbarment would render any sanction meaningless. He pointed out that Giuliani displayed no remorse for his actions and stood by his unsupported allegations of voter fraud.
Legal Consequences vs. Judicial Actions
The board members questioned the absence of prior judicial sanctions against Giuliani despite federal judges dismissing his lawsuit. Fox clarified that the relevant professional rules did not necessitate a prior judicial finding of misconduct.
Giuliani’s Reputation and His Legal Defense
Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Barry Kamins, expressed concern that the committee had disregarded Giuliani’s extensive career and achievements, focusing solely on his conduct related to the election. However, board chair Bernadette Sargeant challenged whether Giuliani’s reputation and accomplishments gave him the right to promote a frivolous lawsuit. Kamins defended Giuliani’s role as a lawyer representing a client he genuinely believed in.
The Awaited Verdict
The nine-member board announced that they would provide their opinion at a later date. The final authority on all disciplinary decisions concerning lawyers licensed in Washington, D.C., rests with the D.C. Court of Appeals.
Giuliani also faces separate criminal charges in Georgia’s Fulton County, alongside several other attorneys, in connection with former President Trump’s attempts to overturn the election results in that state. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty and denounced the indictment as a “travesty.”
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