Editing Rudy Giuliani (section)

== Post-mayoralty political career ==

=== Before 2008 election ===
[[File:Giuliani Bush.jpg|thumb|right|Giuliani and President [[George W. Bush]] in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on August 26, 2004]]

Since leaving office as mayor, Giuliani has remained politically active by campaigning for Republican candidates for political offices at all levels. When [[George Pataki]] became governor in 1995, this represented the first time the positions of both mayor and governor were held simultaneously by Republicans since [[John Lindsay]] and [[Nelson Rockefeller]]. Giuliani and Pataki were instrumental in bringing the [[2004 Republican National Convention]] to New York City.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.b270a4a1d51bb3017bce0ed101c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=nyc_blue_room&catID=1194&doc_name=http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2003a/pr032-03.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1 |title=Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Rnc Chairman Marc Racicot Sign City-Site Agreement for 2004 Republican National Convention |date=January 31, 2003 |publisher=New York City |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926001922/http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.b270a4a1d51bb3017bce0ed101c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=nyc_blue_room&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2003a%2Fpr032-03.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1 |archive-date=September 26, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was a speaker at the convention, and endorsed President [[George W. Bush]] for re-election by recalling that immediately after the World Trade Center towers fell,
{{blockquote|Without really thinking, based on just emotion, spontaneous, I grabbed the arm of then-Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, and I said to him, 'Bernie, thank God George Bush is our president.'<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/30/giuliani.transcript/ |title=Giuliani: 'Thank God that George Bush is our president' |work=CNN |date=August 31, 2004 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023549/http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/30/giuliani.transcript/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Similarly, in June 2006, Giuliani started a website called Solutions America to help elect Republican candidates across the nation.

After campaigning on Bush's behalf in the [[2004 United States presidential election|U.S. presidential election of 2004]], he was reportedly the top choice for [[United States Secretary of Homeland Security|Secretary of Homeland Security]] after [[Tom Ridge]]'s resignation. When suggestions were made that Giuliani's confirmation hearings would be marred by details of his past affairs and scandals, he turned down the offer and instead recommended his friend and former New York Police Commissioner [[Bernard Kerik]]. After the formal announcement of Kerik's nomination, information about Kerik's past{{snd}}most notably, that he had ties to organized crime, had failed to properly report gifts he had received, had been sued for [[sexual harassment]] and had employed an undocumented alien as a domestic servant{{snd}}became known, and Kerik withdrew his nomination.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bernstein |first1=Nina |last2=Stein |first2=Robin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/16/us/mystery-woman-in-kerik-case-nanny.html |title=Mystery Woman in Kerik Case: Nanny |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 16, 2004 |access-date=August 3, 2015 |archive-date=September 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921232542/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/16/us/mystery-woman-in-kerik-case-nanny.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Rudy Giuliani ribbon-cutting ceremony.jpg|thumb|right|Giuliani cutting the ribbon of the new [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] mobile museum in [[Dallas|Dallas, Texas]], in September 2003]]

On March 15, 2006, Congress formed the [[Iraq Study Group]] (ISG). This [[Bipartisanship|bipartisan]] ten-person panel, of which Giuliani was one of the members, was charged with assessing the [[Iraq War]] and making recommendations. They would eventually unanimously conclude that contrary to [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] assertions, "The situation in [[Iraq]] is grave and deteriorating" and called for "changes in the primary mission" that would allow "the United States to begin to move its forces out of Iraq".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usip.org/isg/iraq_study_group_report/report/1206/iraq_study_group_report.pdf |title=Iraq Study Group report |date=December 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601191410/http://www.usip.org/isg/iraq_study_group_report/report/1206/iraq_study_group_report.pdf |archive-date=June 1, 2009 |first1=James A. |last1=Baker |author-link1=James Baker |first2=Lee H. |last2=Hamilton |author-link2=Lee H. Hamilton |first3=Lawrence S. |last3=Eagleburger |author-link3=Lawrence Eagleburger |first4=Vernon E. Jr. |last4=Jordan |author-link4=Vernon Jordan |first5=Edwin III |last5=Meese |author-link5=Edwin Meese |first6=Sandra Day |last6=O'Connor |author-link6=Sandra Day O'Connor |first7=Leon E. |last7=Panetta |author-link7=Leon Panetta |first8=William J. |last8=Perry |author-link8=William J. Perry|first9=Charles S. |last9=Robb |author-link9=Chuck Robb |first10=Alan K. |last10=Simpson |author-link10=Alan K. Simpson |publisher=United States Institute of Peace |access-date=May 25, 2017}}</ref>

On May 24, 2006, after missing all the group's meetings,<ref name="Gordon-2007">{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Gordon|date=June 18, 2007 |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-usrudy0619,0,2577021,print.story |url-status=dead |title=Rudy missing in action for Iraq panel |work=[[Newsday]] |access-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621145811/http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-usrudy0619,0,2577021,print.story |archive-date=June 21, 2007 }}</ref> including a briefing from General [[David Petraeus]], former [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Colin Powell]] and former [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]] [[Eric Shinseki]],<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Amanda |last=Ripley |author-link=Amanda Ripley |url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1655262,00.html |title=Mr. Tough Talk |magazine=Time |date=September 3, 2007 |page=31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402010041/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1655262,00.html |archive-date=April 2, 2008 |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> Giuliani resigned from the panel, citing "previous time commitments".<ref>{{cite press release |title=Edwin Meese Replaces Rudolph Giuliani on Iraq Study Group |work=United States Institute of Peace |url=http://www.usip.org/isg/news_releases/meese.html |date=May 31, 2006 |access-date=March 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214215114/http://www.usip.org/isg/news_releases/meese.html |archive-date=February 14, 2007}}</ref> Giuliani's fundraising schedule had kept him from participating in the panel, a schedule which raised $11.4{{spaces}}million in [[speaking fee]]s over fourteen months,<ref name="Gordon-2007" /> and that Giuliani had been forced to resign after being given "an ultimatum to either show up for meetings or leave the group" by group leader [[James Baker]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Marc |last=Santora |access-date=May 17, 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/20/washington/20repubs.html |title=Giuliani Left Group on Iraq After Warning, Article Says |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 20, 2007 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124052205/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/20/washington/20repubs.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Giuliani subsequently said he had started thinking about running for president, and being on the panel might give it a political spin.<ref>{{cite web|first=Fred|last=Kaplan|author-link=Fred Kaplan (journalist)|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2168858|title=The Man Who Knows Too Little: What Rudy Giuliani's Greedy Decision to Quit the Iraq Study Group Reveals about his Candidacy|work=Slate|date=June 21, 2007|access-date=March 19, 2021|archive-date=August 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811000146/http://www.slate.com/id/2168858/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Giuliani was described by ''Newsweek'' in January 2007 as "one of the most consistent cheerleaders for the president's handling of the war in Iraq"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16458783/site/newsweek/page/2/ |title=More Campaign Troubles for Giuliani |work=Newsweek |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108152027/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16458783/site/newsweek/page/2/ |archive-date=January 8, 2007 |access-date=21 December 2023 }}</ref> and as of June 2007, he remained one of the few candidates for president to unequivocally support both the basis for [[2003 invasion of Iraq|the invasion]] and the execution of the war.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/05/giuliani-iraq-war-absolutely-the-right-thing-to-do/ |title=Giuliani: Iraq war 'absolutely the right thing to do' |date=June 5, 2007 |work=CNN |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=August 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818062732/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/05/giuliani-iraq-war-absolutely-the-right-thing-to-do/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Giuliani spoke in support of the removal of the [[People's Mujahedin of Iran]] (MEK, also PMOI, MKO) from the [[United States State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations]].<ref>{{cite news |title=GOP leaders criticize Obama's Iran policy in rally for opposition group |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/22/AR2010122205180.html |first=Edward |last=Cody |date=December 23, 2010 |access-date=June 30, 2022 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-date=January 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131181642/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/22/AR2010122205180.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The group was on the State Department list from 1997 until September 2012. Even though they were placed on the list for killing six Americans in Iran during the 1970s and attempting to attack the Iranian mission to the United Nations in 1992,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/28/politics/mek-terror-delisting/index.html |date=September 28, 2012 |title=Iranian exile group removed from U.S. terror list |work=CNN |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=September 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929031444/http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/28/politics/mek-terror-delisting/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=September 28, 2012 |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/09/198443.htm |title=Delisting of the Mujahedin-e Khalq |website=[[United States Department of State]] |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=January 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130214621/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/09/198443.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Benjamin-2016">{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Benjamin |date=November 23, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2022 |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/giuliani-mek-terrorist-group-money-bolton-iran-214479/ |title=Giuliani Took Money from a Group That Killed Americans. Does Trump Care? |website=[[Politico Magazine]] |archive-date=April 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424150029/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/giuliani-mek-terrorist-group-money-bolton-iran-214479/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the MEK's [[Organization of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class|Marxist opposing branch]], which at the time had retained the organization's name, claimed responsibility for the killings in their "Military Communique No.24", concluding that the murders were in retaliation for recent death sentences.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ervand |last=Abrahamian |author-link=Ervand Abrahamian |title=Radical Islam: The Iranian Mojahedin |year=1989 |publisher=[[I. B. Tauris]]|pages=166|quote="The Marxist Mojahedin were even more active, especially in Tehran. In July 1975 they made an unsuccessful, but well published attempt to assassinate a senior American diplomat; and in a separate incident fought a noisy street battle with the police, in which five of their members were killed. In August 1975, they bombed the main police in the city's northern suburbs; and in broad daylight managed to assassinate three American employees of Rockwell International: their 'Military communique no. 24' announced that these three had been 'executed' to revenge recent death sentences and to protest the waste of billions on military hardware."|isbn=978-1-85043-077-3}}</ref> Giuliani, along with other former government officials and politicians [[Ed Rendell]], [[R. James Woolsey]], [[Porter Goss]], [[Louis Freeh]], [[Michael Mukasey]], [[James L. Jones]], [[Tom Ridge]], and [[Howard Dean]], were criticized for their involvement with the group. Giuliani and others reportedly received tens of thousands of dollars in speaking fees to advocate for the MEK;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/us/politics/lobbying-support-for-iranian-exile-group-crosses-party-lines.html |title=For Obscure Iranian Exile Group, Broad Support in U.S. |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 26, 2011 |last1=Shane |first1=Scott |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161218095650/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/us/politics/lobbying-support-for-iranian-exile-group-crosses-party-lines.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Benjamin-2016"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2016/11/15/giuliani-was-paid-advocate-for-shady-iranian-dissident-group/ |title=Giuliani was paid advocate for shady Iranian dissident group |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 15, 2016 |first=Josh |last=Rogin |quote=It's illegal for American citizens to do business with a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization. |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110090917/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2016/11/15/giuliani-was-paid-advocate-for-shady-iranian-dissident-group/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0808/Iranian-group-s-big-money-push-to-get-off-US-terrorist-list |title=Iranian group's big-money push to get off US terrorist list |journal=Christian Science Monitor |date=August 8, 2011 |first=Scott |last=Peterson |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813230526/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0808/Iranian-group-s-big-money-push-to-get-off-US-terrorist-list |url-status=live }}</ref> some were subpoenaed during an inquiry about who was paying the prominent individuals' speaking fees.<ref>{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Shane |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/us/us-supporters-of-iranian-group-mek-face-scrutiny.html |title=U.S. Supporters of Iranian Group Face Scrutiny |date=March 13, 2012 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206092940/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/us/us-supporters-of-iranian-group-mek-face-scrutiny.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Several commentators wrote that under the [[PATRIOT Act]], these people could be potentially prosecuted for [[providing material support for terrorism]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.thinkprogress.org/giuliani-dean-paid-to-advocate-for-terrorist-group-9c316a06c50/ |title=Giuliani, Dean Paid to Advocate for Terrorist Group |work=[[ThinkProgress]] |date=May 13, 2011 |first=Matt |last=Duss |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=July 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710153702/https://archive.thinkprogress.org/giuliani-dean-paid-to-advocate-for-terrorist-group-9c316a06c50/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Adam |last=Serwer |url=https://prospect.org/article/rudy-giuliani-offer-terrorist-group-material-support/ |title=Did Rudy Giuliani Offer a Terrorist Group Material Support? |date=January 3, 2011 |work=[[The American Prospect]] |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=July 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729181132/https://prospect.org/article/rudy-giuliani-offer-terrorist-group-material-support/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a claim Giuliani denied.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-denies-supporting-terrorist-organization/ |title=Rudy Giuliani Denies Supporting Terrorist Organization |website=[[CBS News]] |date=January 10, 2011 |access-date=June 30, 2022 |first=Brian |last=Montopoli |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614130212/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-denies-supporting-terrorist-organization/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Mukasey-2011"/> Giuliani and others wrote an article for the conservative publication ''[[National Review]]'' stating their position that the group should not be classified as a terrorist organization. They supported their position by pointing out that the United Kingdom and the European Union had already removed the group from their terrorism lists. They further assert that only the United States and Iran still listed it as a terrorist group.<ref name="Mukasey-2011">{{cite news |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2011/01/mek-not-terrorist-group-michael-b-mukasey-tom-ridge-rudolph-w-giuliani-and-fran/ |title=MEK Is Not a Terrorist Group |work=National Review |date=January 10, 2011 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |first1=Michael B. |last1=Mukasey |first2=Tom |last2=Ridge |first3=Rudolph |last3=Giuliani |first4=Frances Fragos |last4=Townsend |archive-date=June 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609045443/https://www.nationalreview.com/2011/01/mek-not-terrorist-group-michael-b-mukasey-tom-ridge-rudolph-w-giuliani-and-fran/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, Canada did not delist the group until December 2012.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-drops-iranian-group-mek-from-terror-list-1.1239066 |title=Canada drops Iranian group MEK from terror list |publisher=CBC News |date=December 20, 2012 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120121629/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-drops-iranian-group-mek-from-terror-list-1.1239066 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 2008 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Rudy Giuliani 2008 presidential campaign}}
[[File:Rudy08.png|right|thumb|Presidential campaign logo]]

In November 2006, Giuliani announced the formation of an [[exploratory committee]] toward a run for [[2008 United States presidential election|the presidency in 2008]]. In February 2007, he filed a "statement of candidacy" and confirmed on the television program ''[[Larry King Live]]'' that he was indeed running.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 15, 2007 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/14/giuliani.lkl/index.html |title=Giuliani 'not confident' war will turn around |work=CNN |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223144/http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/14/giuliani.lkl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Rudy Giuliani SDSU.jpg|right|thumb|Giuliani at a rally at [[San Diego State University]] in August 2007 when polls showed him as the front-runner for the Republican party's nomination]]

Early polls showed Giuliani with one of the highest levels of name recognition ever recorded along with high levels of support among the Republican candidates. Throughout most of 2007, he was the leader in [[Nationwide opinion polling for the Republican Party 2008 presidential candidates|most nationwide opinion polling among Republicans]]. Senator [[John McCain]], who ranked a close second behind the New York Mayor, had faded, and most polls showed Giuliani to have more support than any of the other declared Republican candidates, with only former senator [[Fred Thompson]] and former governor [[Mitt Romney]] showing greater support in some [[Opinion polling for the Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|per-state Republican polls]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pollingreport.com/wh08rep.htm |title=WH2008: Republicans |publisher=Polling Report |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=June 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613110212/http://www.pollingreport.com/wh08rep.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 7, 2007, Giuliani's campaign received an endorsement from [[Evangelicalism|evangelist]], [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] founder, and past presidential candidate [[Pat Robertson]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Steinhauser |title=Giuliani, McCain pick up key Christian conservative backing |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/07/conservatives.endorsements/index.html#cnnSTCText |publisher=CNN |date=November 7, 2007 |access-date=November 8, 2007 |archive-date=November 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109095102/http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/07/conservatives.endorsements/index.html#cnnSTCText |url-status=live }}</ref> This was viewed by political observers as a possibly key development in the race, as it gave credence that [[Christian evangelism|evangelicals]] and other [[social conservative]]s could support Giuliani despite some of his positions on social issues such as abortion and gay rights.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21669328 |title=Pat Robertson endorses Giuliani |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=November 7, 2007 |access-date=November 7, 2007 |archive-date=June 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617165859/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21669328/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Giuliani's campaign hit a difficult stretch during the last two months of 2007, when [[Bernard Kerik]], whom Giuliani had recommended for the position of Secretary of Homeland Security, was indicted on 16 counts of tax fraud and other federal charges.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/nyregion/10kerik.html |title=A Defiant Kerik Vows to Battle U.S. Indictment |last1=Buettner |first1=Russ |first2=William K. |last2=Rashbaum |name-list-style=amp |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 10, 2007 |access-date=November 10, 2007 |archive-date=April 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415124449/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/nyregion/10kerik.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The media reported that when Giuliani was the mayor of New York, he billed several tens of thousands of dollars of mayoral security expenses to obscure city agencies. Those expenses were incurred while he visited [[Judith Nathan]], with whom he was having an extramarital affair<ref name="Smith-2007">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2007/11/giuliani-billed-obscure-agencies-for-trips-007073 |title=Giuliani billed obscure agencies for trips |last=Smith |first=Ben |work=[[Politico]] |date=November 30, 2007 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120195410/http://www.politico.com/story/2007/11/giuliani-billed-obscure-agencies-for-trips-007073 |url-status=live }}</ref> (later analysis showed the billing to likely be unrelated to hiding Nathan).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/12/20/us/politics/20071221_GIULIANI_GRAPHIC.html |first=Russ |last=Buettner |title=Giuliani's shifted money around? Yes. To hide Hamptons trips? Unlikely. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 20, 2007 |access-date=December 26, 2007 |archive-date=May 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514142104/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/12/20/us/politics/20071221_GIULIANI_GRAPHIC.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Several stories were published in the press regarding clients of [[Giuliani Partners]] and [[Bracewell & Giuliani]] who were in opposition to goals of American foreign policy.<ref name="Brune-2007" /> Giuliani's national poll numbers began steadily slipping and his unusual strategy of focusing more on later, multi-primary big states rather than the smaller, first-voting states was seen at risk.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jazNRPA-PoarmKc-rOqLU6Hlu51Q |title=Hospital health scare latest of Giuliani's woes |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |date=December 20, 2007 |access-date=December 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108045653/https://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jazNRPA-PoarmKc-rOqLU6Hlu51Q |archive-date=January 8, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Montopoli-2008">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-giuliani-a-disappointing-fade-to-exit/ |title=For Giuliani, A Disappointing Fade To Exit |publisher=[[CBS News]] via CBS Interactive Inc. |first=Brian |last=Montopoli |date=January 29, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2008 |archive-date=29 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829200454/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-giuliani-a-disappointing-fade-to-exit/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Rudygiuliani1.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Giuliani at a campaign event in [[Derry, New Hampshire]], the day before the [[New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008|New Hampshire primary]]]]

Despite his strategy, Giuliani competed to a substantial extent<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4105498&page=1 |first1=Jake |last1=Tapper |author-link=Jake Tapper |first2=Karen |last2=Travers |title=Rudy Focused on N.H., Despite Claims |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=January 8, 2008 |access-date=January 9, 2008 |archive-date=January 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112042555/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4105498&page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> in the January 8, 2008, [[New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008|New Hampshire primary]] but finished a distant fourth with 9{{spaces}}percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#NH |title=Election Center 2008: Primary Results for New Hampshire |work=CNN |date=January 9, 2008 |access-date=January 9, 2008 |archive-date=January 8, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108135337/http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#NH |url-status=live }}</ref> Similar poor results continued in other early contests, when Giuliani's staff went without pay in order to focus all efforts on the crucial late January [[Florida Republican primary, 2008|Florida Republican primary]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-11-giuliani-staffers_N.htm |title=Giuliani Staffers Forgo Paychecks |work=[[USA Today]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=January 11, 2008 |access-date=August 6, 2015 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904014216/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-11-giuliani-staffers_N.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The shift of the electorate's focus from [[national security]] to the state of the economy also hurt Giuliani,<ref name="Montopoli-2008" /> as did the resurgence of McCain's similarly themed campaign. On January 29, 2008, Giuliani finished a distant third in the Florida result with 15{{spaces}}percent of the vote, trailing McCain and Romney.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/29/fl.primary/index.html |title=McCain wins Florida, Giuliani expected to drop out |publisher=CNN |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=March 3, 2008 |archive-date=March 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307045048/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/29/fl.primary/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Facing declining polls and lost leads in the upcoming large [[Super Tuesday (2008)|Super Tuesday]] states,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/california/election_2008_california_republican_presidential_primary |title=Election 2008: California Republican Presidential Primary California: McCain 24% Romney 17% |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119110102/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/california/election_2008_california_republican_presidential_primary |archive-date=January 19, 2008 |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=May 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/new_jersey/new_jersey_republican_presidential_primary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119110112/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/new_jersey/new_jersey_republican_presidential_primary |archive-date=January 19, 2008 |title=New Jersey Republican Presidential Primary New Jersey: McCain 29% Giuliani 27% |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=July 25, 2012}}</ref> including that of his home New York,<ref>{{cite news|first=Elisabeth|last=Bumiller|author-link=Elisabeth Bumiller|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/us/politics/22cnd-repubs.html|title=G.O.P. Rivals Open Final Assault in Florida|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 20, 2008|access-date=March 19, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125193916/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/us/politics/22cnd-repubs.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Giuliani withdrew from the race on January 30, endorsing McCain.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2964765820080131 |title=Giuliani, Edwards quit White House Race |date=January 30, 2008 |work=[[Reuters]] |first=Steve |last=Holland |access-date=January 30, 2008 |archive-date=February 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201110249/http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2964765820080131 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Giuliani's campaign ended up $3.6{{spaces}}million in arrears,<ref name="Hernandez-2008">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/nyregion/14giuliani.html |title=Giuliani Plans to Aid Hopefuls, for His Share |last=Hernandez |first=Raymond |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 17, 2008 |access-date=February 12, 2017 |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127004024/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/nyregion/14giuliani.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and in June 2008 Giuliani sought to retire the debt by proposing to appear at Republican fundraisers during the 2008 general election, and have part of the proceeds go towards his campaign.<ref name="Hernandez-2008" /> During the [[2008 Republican National Convention]], Giuliani gave a prime-time speech that praised McCain and his running mate, [[Sarah Palin]], while criticizing Democratic nominee [[Barack Obama]]. He cited Palin's executive experience as a mayor and governor and belittled Obama's lack of same, and his remarks were met with wild applause from the delegates.<ref>{{cite news |title=Giuliani: Palin More Qualified Than Obama |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/giuliani-palin-more-qualified-than-obama/ |publisher=CBS News |date=August 31, 2008 |access-date=August 31, 2008 |archive-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901010714/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/31/ftn/main4401610.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Giuliani continued to be one of McCain's most active surrogates during the remainder of McCain's eventually unsuccessful campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/nyregion/19rudy.html |title=Governor Giuliani? Some State Republicans Are Hoping He'll Try |last1=Hakim |first1=Danny |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 18, 2008 |access-date=December 11, 2008 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515163756/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/nyregion/19rudy.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== After 2008 election ===
Following the end of his presidential campaign, Giuliani's "high appearance fees dropped like a stone".<ref>{{cite news |last=Greenbaum |first=Mark |date=April 3, 2011 |url=http://www.salon.com/2011/04/03/greenbaum_mitch_daniels_2012/ |title=Why Mitch Daniels is the Republican to watch for '12 |work=[[Salon.com]] |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120184041/http://www.salon.com/2011/04/03/greenbaum_mitch_daniels_2012/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He returned to work at both [[Giuliani Partners]] and [[Bracewell & Giuliani]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/nyregion/17rudy.html |title=How's Life for Giuliani These Days? Quite Busy |last1=Santora |first1=Marc |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 16, 2008 |access-date=December 11, 2008 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515154201/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/nyregion/17rudy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> His consultancy work included advising [[Keiko Fujimori]] with her presidential campaign during the [[2011 Peruvian general election]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Alexander Burns|date=June 6, 2011|title=Giuliani loses election – in Peru|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/06/giuliani-loses-election-in-peru-056325|access-date=February 21, 2021|website=[[Politico]]|language=en|archive-date=July 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727235200/https://www.politico.com/story/2011/06/giuliani-loses-election-in-peru-056325|url-status=live}}</ref> Giuliani also explored hosting a syndicated radio show, and was reported to be in talks with [[Westwood One (1976–2011)|Westwood One]] about replacing [[Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]] before that position went to [[Fred Thompson]] (another unsuccessful 2008 GOP presidential primary candidate).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/23/republican-radio-hosts-rush-limbaugh |title=Republican contenders finally find voice: as radio talk hosts |first=Ed |last=Pilkington |date=December 22, 2008 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=March 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314102238/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/23/republican-radio-hosts-rush-limbaugh |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Thompson joins talk radio opposition |date=December 22, 2008 |work=FirstPost |url=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,1779,fred-thompson-joins-the-talk-radio-opposition,64900 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209051712/http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,1779,fred-thompson-joins-the-talk-radio-opposition,64900 |archive-date=February 9, 2009 |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> In 2009, Giuliani said the [[Obama administration]] and [[U.S. Treasury Secretary]] [[Timothy Geithner]] lacked executive competence in dealing with the [[2008 financial crisis]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://observer.com/2009/07/giuliani-tears-into-obama-praises-bloomberg-hints-at-succeeding-paterson/ | title=Giuliani Tears Into Obama, Praises Bloomberg, Hints at Succeeding Paterson | first=Bonnie | last=Kavoussi | work=[[The New York Observer]] | date=July 30, 2009}}</ref>

[[File:USMC-091108-M-0000X-090.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.75|Giuliani gives the keynote speech at the Jumeriah Essex House in honor of the USS New York sailors and Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26 Marines on November 8, 2009.]]
Giuliani said his political career was not necessarily over, and did not rule out a [[2010 New York gubernatorial election|2010 New York gubernatorial]] or [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential]] bid.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/16/giuliani-wont-rule-out-runs-for-ny-governor-or-president/ |title=Giuliani won't rule out runs for NY governor or president |work=CNN |date=November 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081116230133/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/16/giuliani-wont-rule-out-runs-for-ny-governor-or-president/ |access-date=December 11, 2008|archive-date=November 16, 2008 }}</ref> A November 2008 [[Siena College]] poll indicated that although Governor [[David Paterson]]{{snd}}promoted to the office via the [[Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal]] a year before{{snd}}was popular among New Yorkers, he would have just a slight lead over Giuliani in a hypothetical matchup.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/giuliani-gains-ground-paterson-governor-race-poll-article-1.338984 |url-status=live |title=Giuliani gains ground against Paterson in governor's race in recent poll |last1=Lovett |first1=Kenneth |work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=November 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018112149/https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/giuliani-gains-ground-paterson-governor-race-poll-article-1.338984 |access-date=December 11, 2008|archive-date=October 18, 2012 }}</ref> By February 2009, after the prolonged [[2010 United States Senate special election in New York#Appointment|Senate appointment process]], a Siena College poll indicated that Paterson was losing popularity among New Yorkers, and showed Giuliani with a fifteen-point lead in the hypothetical contest.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-paterson-cuomo-poll-idUSTRE51N6ZQ20090224 |title=New York governor trails rival Cuomo in latest poll |date=February 24, 2009 |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=August 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822011659/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-paterson-cuomo-poll-idUSTRE51N6ZQ20090224 |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2009, Giuliani said he would not decide on a gubernatorial run for another six to eight months, adding that he thought it would not be fair to the governor to start campaigning early while the governor tries to focus on his job.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/13/giuliani-says-decision-on-governors-race-unlikely-before-summer/ |title=Giuliani says decision on governor's race unlikely before summer |last1=Steinhauser |first1=Paul |work=CNN |date=January 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126060254/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/13/giuliani-says-decision-on-governors-race-unlikely-before-summer/ |access-date=January 16, 2009|archive-date=January 26, 2009 }}</ref> Giuliani worked to retire his presidential campaign debt, but by the end of March 2009 it was still $2.4{{spaces}}million in arrears, the largest such remaining amount for any of the 2008 contenders.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/04/fec-debt-for-giuliani-dodd-clinton-021302 |title=FEC: Debt for Giuliani, Dodd, Clinton |last1=Vogel |first1=Kenneth P. |work=[[Politico]] |date=April 15, 2009 |access-date=April 21, 2009 |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307040606/http://www.politico.com/story/2009/04/fec-debt-for-giuliani-dodd-clinton-021302 |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2009, Giuliani strongly opposed Paterson's announced push for [[same-sex marriage in New York]] and said it would likely cause a backlash that could put Republicans in statewide office in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/04/gay-rights-groups-angry-with-giuliani-021451 |title=Gay rights groups angry with Giuliani |date=April 20, 2009 |work=Politico |first=Kenneth P. |last=Vogel |access-date=June 9, 2023 |archive-date=June 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609113947/https://www.politico.com/story/2009/04/gay-rights-groups-angry-with-giuliani-021451 |url-status=live }}</ref> By late August 2009, there were still conflicting reports about whether Giuliani was likely to run.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/08/doubts-cast-on-giuliani-governor-bid-026435 |title=Doubts cast on Rudy Giuliani governor bid |last1=Isenstadt |first1=Alex |work=[[Politico]] |date=August 25, 2009 |access-date=August 25, 2009 |archive-date=September 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910040618/http://www.politico.com/story/2009/08/doubts-cast-on-giuliani-governor-bid-026435 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On December 23, 2009, Giuliani announced that he would not seek any office in 2010, saying "The main reason has to do with my two enterprises: Bracewell & Giuliani and Giuliani Partners. I'm very busy in both."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/nyregion/20rudy.html |work=The New York Times |title=Giuliani Said to Decide Against Run for Governor |first=Danny |last=Hakim |date=November 20, 2009 |access-date=March 30, 2010 |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225073848/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/nyregion/20rudy.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Powell, Michael-2009" /> The decisions signaled a possible end to Giuliani's political career.<ref name="Powell, Michael-2009">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/nyregion/23rudy.html |title=Giuliani Says Farewell, for Now, to Politics |author=Powell, Michael |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 22, 2009 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-date=May 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522184659/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/nyregion/23rudy.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Martin-2009">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/12/giuliani-exits-national-stage-030920 |title=Rudy Giuliani exits national stage |last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |last2=Smith |first2=Ben |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=December 23, 2009 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525110459/https://www.politico.com/story/2009/12/giuliani-exits-national-stage-030920 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the [[2010 United States elections|2010 midterm elections]], Giuliani endorsed and campaigned for [[Bob Ehrlich]] and [[Marco Rubio]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/giuliani-bloomberg-take-sides-in-md-race |url-status=live |title=Giuliani, Bloomberg take sides in Md. race |first=Hayley |last=Peterson |date=September 27, 2010 |work=Washington Examiner |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220130029/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/giuliani-bloomberg-take-sides-in-md-race |access-date=20 December 2023 |archive-date=2023-12-20 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/02/giuliani-backs-rubio-over-crist-in-florida-contest/ |title=Giuliani backs Rubio over Crist in Florida contest |work=CNN |first=Peter |last=Hamby |date=April 2, 2010 |access-date=May 25, 2017 |archive-date=October 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017220831/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/02/giuliani-backs-rubio-over-crist-in-florida-contest/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36180242 |title=Giuliani endorses Rubio for Senate seat in Fla. |work=NBC News |date=April 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220130509/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36180242 |access-date=20 December 2023 |archive-date=2023-12-20 |url-status=live |agency=[[Associated Press]] }}</ref>

On October 11, 2011, Giuliani announced that he was not running for president. According to Kevin Law, the director of the [[Long Island Association]], Giuliani believed that "As a moderate, he thought it was a pretty significant challenge. He said it's tough to be a moderate and succeed in GOP primaries," Giuliani said "If it's too late for (New Jersey Governor) [[Chris Christie]], it's too late for me."<ref>{{cite news |title=Giuliani not running for U.S. president in 2012 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-campaign-giuliani-idUSN1E79A1E420111011 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=October 11, 2011 |access-date=October 15, 2011 |archive-date=February 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216110446/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/11/usa-campaign-giuliani-idUSN1E79A1E420111011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

At a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] fund-raising event in February 2015, Giuliani said, "I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president Obama loves America," and "He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up, through love of this country."<ref name="Haberman-2015">{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author1-link=Maggie Haberman |last2=Confessore |first2=Nicholas |author2-link=Nicholas Confessore |title=Giuliani: Obama Had a White Mother, So I'm Not a Racist |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/02/19/giuliani-obama-had-a-white-mother-so-im-not-a-racist/ |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 20, 2015 |access-date=February 25, 2015 |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226014404/http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/02/19/giuliani-obama-had-a-white-mother-so-im-not-a-racist/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In response to criticism of the remarks, Giuliani said, "Some people thought it was racist{{snd}}I thought that was a joke, since he was brought up by a white mother{{spaces}}... This isn't racism. This is socialism or possibly anti-colonialism." White House deputy press secretary [[Eric Schultz]] said he agreed with Giuliani "that it was a horrible thing to say", but he would leave it up to the people who heard Giuliani directly to assess whether the remarks were appropriate for the event.<ref name="Haberman-2015" /> Although he received some support for his controversial comments, Giuliani said he also received several death threats within 48 hours.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/rudy-giuliani-says-hes-received-death-threats-over-obama-remarks-115384 |first1=Darren |last1=Samuelsohn |first2=Ben |last2=Schreckinger |date=February 21, 2015 |title=Giuliani says he's received death threats over Obama remarks |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730231010/http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/rudy-giuliani-says-hes-received-death-threats-over-obama-remarks-115384 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Relationship with Donald Trump ===
[[File:Rudy Giuliani (28756447363).jpg|right|thumb|Giuliani speaking at a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on August 31, 2016]]

==== Presidential campaign supporter ====
Giuliani supported [[Donald Trump]] in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]]. He gave a prime time speech during the first night of the [[2016 Republican National Convention]].<ref>{{cite news |date=July 18, 2016 |first=Erin |last=Kelly |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/07/18/giuliani-blasts-clinton-touts-trump-american-security/87266562/ |title=Giuliani blasts Clinton, touts Trump for American security |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=July 28, 2016 |archive-date=July 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724032424/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/07/18/giuliani-blasts-clinton-touts-trump-american-security/87266562/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Earlier in the day, Giuliani and former 2016 presidential candidate [[Ben Carson]] appeared at an event for the pro-Trump [[Great America PAC]].<ref>{{cite news |date=July 21, 2016 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/21/politics/donald-trump-super-pac-convention/index.html |title=Trump super PACs battle in Cleveland |last=Schleifer |first=Theodore |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=July 28, 2016 |archive-date=July 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726093400/http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/21/politics/donald-trump-super-pac-convention/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Giuliani also appeared in a Great America PAC ad entitled "Leadership".<ref>{{cite web |last=Great America Pac |title=Leadership 30 sec TV spot |website=[[YouTube]] |date=July 26, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9B7I1MeCRo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/K9B7I1MeCRo| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=July 28, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Giuliani's and [[Jeff Sessions]]' appearances were staples at Trump campaign rallies.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 1, 2016 |first1=Joshua |last1=Partlow |first2=Sean |last2=Sullivan |first3=Karen |last3=DeYoung |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/after-subdued-trip-to-mexico-donald-trump-talks-tough-on-immigration-in/2291814 |title=After subdued trip to Mexico, Donald Trump talks tough on immigration in Phoenix |agency=The Washington Post |quote=Trump was joined in the meeting by former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, who have become fixtures at his campaign rallies. |access-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126164132/https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/after-subdued-trip-to-mexico-donald-trump-talks-tough-on-immigration-in/2291814/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the campaign, Giuliani praised Trump for his worldwide accomplishments and helping fellow New Yorkers in their time of need.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/18/politics/rudy-giuliani-rnc-speech/ |title=Rudy Giuliani hammers Clinton, pumps up crowd at RNC |date=July 19, 2016 |first=Eric |last=Bradner |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701115636/https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/18/politics/rudy-giuliani-rnc-speech/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He defended Trump against allegations of [[Racial views of Donald Trump|racism]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump.html |first1=Jonathan |last1=Mahler |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |access-date=July 1, 2022 |title=For Rudy Giuliani, Embrace of Donald Trump Puts Legacy at Risk |date=September 9, 2016 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109045709/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations|sexual assault]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Eric |last=Bradner |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/09/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-state-of-the-union-debate/ |title=Rudy Giuliani on Donald Trump tape: 'Men at times talk like that' |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 9, 2016 |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-date=May 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514092833/https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/09/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-state-of-the-union-debate/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and not paying any federal income taxes for as long as two decades.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/03/us/politics/giuliani-calls-donald-trump-a-genius-for-minimizing-his-taxes.html |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |first2=Nicholas |last2=Fandos |access-date=July 1, 2022 |title=Donald Trump and His Allies Struggle to Move Past Tax Revelation |date=October 2, 2016 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128142905/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/03/us/politics/giuliani-calls-donald-trump-a-genius-for-minimizing-his-taxes.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2016, Giuliani, while campaigning for Trump, said that in the "eight years before Obama" became president, "we didn't have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States". It was noted that 9/11 happened during George W. Bush's first term. [[PolitiFact]] brought up four more counter-examples (the [[2002 Los Angeles International Airport shooting]], the 2002 [[D.C. sniper attacks]], the [[2006 Seattle Jewish Federation shooting]] and the [[2006 UNC SUV attack]]) to Giuliani's claim. Giuliani later said he was using "abbreviated language".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |last2=Killough |first2=Ashley |title=Giuliani wrong about terror attacks and Obama |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/15/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-9-11-terror-attack/index.html |work=CNN |date=August 16, 2016 |access-date=June 7, 2018 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612150456/https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/15/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-9-11-terror-attack/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Edelman |first1=Adam |title=Rudy Giuliani blames his use of 'abbreviated' language for 9/11-forgetting gaffe, claim no terror attacks happened 'before Obama came along' |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-blames-9-11-forget-gaffe-abbreviated-language-article-1.2753356 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |access-date=June 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817153347/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-blames-9-11-forget-gaffe-abbreviated-language-article-1.2753356 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |url-status=live |date=August 16, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Qiu |first1=Linda |title=Aside from 9/11, Rudy Giuliani is wrong about no terrorist attacks before Obama |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/aug/16/rudy-giuliani/aside-from-911-rudy-giuliani-wrong-about-no-terr/ |date=August 16, 2016 |work=[[PolitiFact]] |access-date=June 7, 2018 |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701115634/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/aug/16/rudy-giuliani/aside-from-911-rudy-giuliani-wrong-about-no-terr/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Giuliani was believed to be a likely pick for secretary of state in the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/donald-trump-cabinet-rudy-giuliani.html|title=Rudolph Giuliani's Business Ties Viewed as Red Flag for Secretary of State Job|first1=Mark|last1=Landler|first2=Eric|last2=Lipton|first3=Jo|last3=Becker|date=November 15, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=April 19, 2018|archive-date=May 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503101129/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/donald-trump-cabinet-rudy-giuliani.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, on December 9, 2016, Trump announced that Giuliani had removed his name from consideration for any Cabinet post.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/rudy-giuliani-removes-himself-from-consideration-for-trump-cabinet-post/ |title=Trump: No Cabinet post for Rudy Giuliani |newspaper=CNN |date=December 9, 2016 |first1=Tal |last1=Kopan |first2=Daniella |last2=Diaz |access-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210130817/http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/rudy-giuliani-removes-himself-from-consideration-for-trump-cabinet-post/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Advisor to the president ====
The [[President-elect of the United States|president-elect]] named Giuliani his informal cybersecurity adviser on January 12, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/12/trump-names-rudy-giuliani-as-cybersecurity-adviser/|title=Trump names Rudy Giuliani as cybersecurity adviser|last=Phillip|first=Abby|author-link=Abby Phillip|date=January 12, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post PowerPost blog|access-date=January 13, 2017|archive-date=May 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516050541/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/12/trump-names-rudy-giuliani-as-cybersecurity-adviser/|url-status=live}}</ref> The status of this informal role for Giuliani is unclear because, in November 2018, Trump created the [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] (CISA), headed by [[Chris Krebs|Christopher Krebs]] as director and [[Matthew Travis]] as deputy. In the weeks following his appointment, Giuliani was forced to consult an [[Apple Store]] [[Genius Bar]] when he "was locked out of his [[iPhone]] because he had forgotten the passcode and entered the wrong one at least 10 times", belying his putative expertise in the field.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rudy-giuliani-needed-apple-genius-help-unlock-his-iphone-after-n1074241 |title=Rudy Giuliani needed Apple genius help to unlock his iPhone after being named Trump cybersecurity adviser |date=October 31, 2019 |publisher=NBC News |first=Rich |last=Schapiro |access-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108033512/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rudy-giuliani-needed-apple-genius-help-unlock-his-iphone-after-n1074241 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2017, Giuliani said he advised [[First presidency of Donald Trump|President Trump]] in matters relating to [[Executive Order 13769]], which barred citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days. The order also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.<ref>{{cite web |first=Ben |last=King |title=Judge Jeanine Pirro Rudy Giuliani FULL Interview – 1/28/17 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=January 28, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9GKL6i38pI |access-date=May 25, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521170603/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9GKL6i38pI |archive-date=May 21, 2017 }}<!-- archives do not include video content --></ref>
[[File:American politicians at the PMOI event 2018.jpg|thumb|Giuliani, [[Newt Gingrich]], [[James T. Conway]], [[Bill Richardson]] and other American politicians at the [[People's Mujahedin of Iran]] (PMOI) event in 2018{{clarify|date=May 2019}}]]
[[File:President Trump Signs an Act to Permanently Authorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (48414393022).jpg|thumb|right|[[President of the United States|President]] [[Donald Trump]] recognizes Giuliani prior to signing H.R. 1327; an act to permanently authorize the September{{spaces}}11 Victim Compensation Fund, on July 29, 2019.]]
Giuliani has drawn scrutiny over his ties to foreign nations, regarding not registering per the [[Foreign Agents Registration Act]] (FARA).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-works-for-foreign-clients-while-serving-as-trumps-attorney/2018/07/09/e21554ae-7988-11e8-80be-6d32e182a3bc_story.html |title=Giuliani works for foreign clients while serving as Trump's attorney |first1=Josh |last1=Dawsey |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger |first3=Ashley |last3=Parker |date=July 10, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 16, 2018 |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717200725/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-works-for-foreign-clients-while-serving-as-trumps-attorney/2018/07/09/e21554ae-7988-11e8-80be-6d32e182a3bc_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Personal lawyer ====
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In mid April 2018, Giuliani joined Trump's legal team, which dealt with the [[Mueller special counsel investigation|special counsel investigation]] by [[Robert Mueller]] into [[Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections]]. Giuliani said his goal was to negotiate a swift end to the investigation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/384028-giuliani-joins-trump-legal-team/|title=Giuliani joins Trump legal team|last=Fabian|first=Jordan|date=April 19, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=May 5, 2018|archive-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506040002/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/384028-giuliani-joins-trump-legal-team|url-status=live}}</ref>

In early May, Giuliani made public that Trump had reimbursed his personal attorney [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]] $130,000 that Cohen had paid to adult-film actress [[Stormy Daniels]] for her agreement not to talk about her alleged affair with Trump.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-trump-stormy-daniels_us_5aea6adee4b00f70f0eefbea|title=Giuliani Says Trump Repaid Lawyer For $130,000 Payment To Stormy Daniels|last=Visser|first=Nick|date=May 2, 2018|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=May 5, 2018|archive-date=May 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505021540/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-trump-stormy-daniels_us_5aea6adee4b00f70f0eefbea|url-status=live}}</ref> Cohen had earlier insisted he used his own money to pay Daniels, and he implied that he had not been reimbursed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/09/trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-says-he-paid-stormy-daniels-his-home-equity-line/412335002/ |title=Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says he paid Stormy Daniels with his home-equity line |last=Schouten |first=Fredreka |date=March 10, 2018 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=May 5, 2018 |archive-date=May 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503140348/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/09/trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-says-he-paid-stormy-daniels-his-home-equity-line/412335002/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Trump had previously said he knew nothing about the matter.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/05/politics/donald-trump-stormy-daniels/index.html|title=Trump says he didn't know about Stormy Daniels payment|last=Liptak|first=Kevin|date=April 6, 2018|work=CNN|access-date=May 5, 2018|archive-date=May 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505021540/https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/05/politics/donald-trump-stormy-daniels/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Within a week, Giuliani said some of his own statements regarding this matter were "more rumor than anything else".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldschlag |first1=William |last2=Janison |first2=Dan |title=Giuliani: I'm still winging it on Trump's Stormy payoff story |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/trump-giuliani-mueller-daniels-cohen-e96239 |date=May 7, 2018 |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |access-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929210301/https://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/trump-giuliani-mueller-daniels-cohen-e96239 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Later in May 2018, Giuliani, who was asked on whether the promotion of the [[Spygate (conspiracy theory)|Spygate]] conspiracy theory is meant to discredit the special counsel investigation, said the investigators "are giving us the material to do it. Of course, we have to do it in defending the president{{spaces}}... it is for public opinion" on whether to "impeach or not impeach" Trump.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2018/05/28/rudy-giuliani-spygate-mueller-investigation/|title='It Is for Public Opinion.' Rudy Giuliani May Have Admitted That Trump's 'Spygate' Is a PR Ploy|last=Bach|first=Natasha|date=May 28, 2018|work=Fortune|access-date=May 28, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528143124/http://fortune.com/2018/05/28/rudy-giuliani-spygate-mueller-investigation/|archive-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref> In June 2018, Giuliani said that a sitting president cannot be indicted: "I don't know how you can indict while he's in office. No matter what it is. If President Trump shot [then-FBI director] [[James Comey]], he'd be impeached the next day. Impeach him, and then you can do whatever you want to do to him."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Date |first1=S.V. |title=Giuliani: Trump Could Have Shot Comey And Still Couldn't Be Indicted For It |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-shoot-comey_us_5b145897e4b02143b7cd633e |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |date=June 4, 2018 |access-date=June 4, 2018 |archive-date=June 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180604003949/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-shoot-comey_us_5b145897e4b02143b7cd633e |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2018, Giuliani also said Trump should not testify to the special counsel investigation because "our recollection keeps changing".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vazquez |first1=Maegan |title=Giuliani says Trump shouldn't testify because 'our recollection keeps changing' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/03/politics/donald-trump-rudy-giuliani-jay-sekulow-recollection/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=June 3, 2018 |access-date=June 6, 2018 |archive-date=June 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180606022309/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/03/politics/donald-trump-rudy-giuliani-jay-sekulow-recollection/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In early July, Giuliani characterized that Trump had previously asked Comey to "give him [then-national security adviser Michael Flynn] a break". In mid-August, Giuliani denied making this comment: "What I said was, that is what Comey is saying Trump said."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vazquez |first1=Maegan |title=Giuliani: 'There was no conversation' between Trump and Comey on Flynn |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/12/politics/rudy-giuliani-michael-flynn-question-cnntv/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=August 13, 2018 |access-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814005820/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/12/politics/rudy-giuliani-michael-flynn-question-cnntv/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On August 19 on ''[[Meet the Press]]'', Giuliani argued that Trump should not testify to the special counsel investigation because Trump could be "trapped into [[perjury]]" just by telling "somebody's version of the truth. Not the truth." Giuliani's argument continued: "Truth isn't truth." Giuliani later clarified that he was "referring to the situation where two people make precisely contradictory statements".<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani defends 'truth isn't truth' remark |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45252493 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=August 20, 2018 |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822012314/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45252493 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In late July, Giuliani defended Trump by saying "collusion is not a crime" and that Trump had done nothing wrong because he "didn't hack" or "pay for the hacking".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Chait |first1=Jonathan |author1-link=Jonathan Chait |title=Rudy: Trump Is Innocent Because He Did Not Personally Hack Democratic Emails |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/rudy-trump-innocent-because-he-didnt-personally-hack-email.html |department=Daily Intelligencer |magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York Magazine]] |date=July 30, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813174904/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/rudy-trump-innocent-because-he-didnt-personally-hack-email.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He later elaborated that his comments were a "very, very familiar lawyer's argument" to "attack the legitimacy of the special counsel investigation".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=Rudy Giuliani keeps admitting that he's just saying stuff |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/31/rudolph-w-giuliani-keeps-admitting-that-hes-just-saying-stuff |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 31, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814040234/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/31/rudolph-w-giuliani-keeps-admitting-that-hes-just-saying-stuff/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He also described and denied several supposed allegations that have never been publicly raised, regarding two earlier meetings among Trump campaign officials to set up the June 9, 2016, [[Trump Tower meeting]] with Russian citizens.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cassidy |first1=John |title=What Is Rudy Giuliani Talking About? |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-is-rudy-giuliani-talking-about |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=June 30, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=August 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812201714/https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-is-rudy-giuliani-talking-about |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/30/giuliani-trump-tower-meeting-749871|title='Never happened': Giuliani walks back confusing claim of secret Trump Tower meeting|last=Morin|first=Rebecca|date=July 30, 2018|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=August 1, 2018|archive-date=July 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731110325/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/30/giuliani-trump-tower-meeting-749871|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-fox-news-trump-tower_us_5b5f4400e4b0fd5c73d1d5f3|title=Rudy Giuliani Stuns Fox News Hosts With Rambling Account Of Trump Tower Meetings|last=Miller|first=Hayley|date=July 30, 2018|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=August 1, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801121642/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-fox-news-trump-tower_us_5b5f4400e4b0fd5c73d1d5f3|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/30/17630148/giuliani-trump-tower-cohen-mueller-russia|title=Rudy Giuliani's rambling new statements on Michael Cohen and the Trump Tower meeting, decoded|last=Prokop|first=Andrew|date=July 30, 2018|work=Vox|access-date=August 1, 2018|archive-date=July 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731111144/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/30/17630148/giuliani-trump-tower-cohen-mueller-russia|url-status=live}}</ref> In late August, Giuliani said the June 9, 2016, Trump Tower "meeting was originally for the purpose of getting information about Hillary Clinton".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samuels |first1=Brett |title=Giuliani: Trump Tower meeting was 'originally for the purpose of getting information about Clinton' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/402524-giuliani-trump-tower-meeting-was-originally-for-the-purpose-of/ |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=August 19, 2018 |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-date=August 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821202244/http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/402524-giuliani-trump-tower-meeting-was-originally-for-the-purpose-of |url-status=live }}</ref>

Additionally in late July, Giuliani attacked Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen as an "incredible liar", two months after calling Cohen an "honest, honorable lawyer".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Krawczyk |first1=Kathryn |title=Rudy Giuliani called Michael Cohen an 'honest, honorable lawyer' in May. Now, he's an 'incredible liar'. |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/787243/rudy-giuliani-called-michael-cohen-honest-honorable-lawyer-may-now-hes-incredible-liar |magazine=[[The Week]] |date=July 27, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=August 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812225023/http://theweek.com/speedreads/787243/rudy-giuliani-called-michael-cohen-honest-honorable-lawyer-may-now-hes-incredible-liar |url-status=live }}</ref> In mid-August, Giuliani defended Trump by saying: "The president's an honest man."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kasperowicz |first1=Pete |title=Rudy Giuliani: No chance Mueller has anything on Trump |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rudy-giuliani-no-chance-mueller-has-anything-on-trump |magazine=[[The Washington Examiner]] |date=August 13, 2018 |access-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814012527/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rudy-giuliani-no-chance-mueller-has-anything-on-trump |url-status=live }}</ref>

It was reported in early September that Giuliani said the White House could and likely would prevent the special counsel investigation from making public certain information in its final report which would be covered by executive privilege. Also according to Giuliani, Trump's personal legal team is already preparing a "counter-report" to refute the potential special counsel investigation's report.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Toobin |first1=Jeffrey |title=How Rudy Giuliani Turned Into Trump's Clown |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/10/how-rudy-giuliani-turned-into-trumps-clown |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |author-link=Jeffrey Toobin |date=September 10, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106213144/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/10/how-rudy-giuliani-turned-into-trumps-clown |url-status=live }}</ref>

Giuliani privately urged Trump in 2017 to extradite [[Fethullah Gülen]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-pressed-trump-to-eject-muslim-cleric-from-us-a-top-priority-of-turkish-president-former-officials-say/2019/10/15/bf43d1ec-ef68-11e9-b648-76bcf86eb67e_story.html |access-date=September 11, 2022 |date=October 15, 2019 |title=Giuliani pressed Trump to eject Muslim cleric from U.S., a top priority of Turkish president, former officials say |first1=Carol D. |last1=Leonnig |first2=Ellen |last2=Nakashima |first3=Josh |last3=Dawsey |first4=Tom |last4=Hamburger |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225065952/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-pressed-trump-to-eject-muslim-cleric-from-us-a-top-priority-of-turkish-president-former-officials-say/2019/10/15/bf43d1ec-ef68-11e9-b648-76bcf86eb67e_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In late 2019, Giuliani represented Venezuelan businessman [[Alejandro Betancourt López|Alejandro Betancourt]], meeting with the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] to ask not to bring charges against him.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosalind S. |last2=Barrett |first2=Devlin |last3=Zapotosky |first3=Matt |last4=Hamburger |first4=Tom |date=November 26, 2019 |title=A wealthy Venezuelan hosted Giuliani as he pursued Ukraine campaign. Then Giuliani lobbied the Justice Department on his behalf. |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-wealthy-venezuelan-hosted-giuliani-as-he-pursued-ukraine-campaign-then-giuliani-lobbied-the-justice-department-on-his-behalf/2019/11/26/272105a2-0ec5-11ea-b0fc-62cc38411ebb_story.html |access-date=November 20, 2020 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117222802/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-wealthy-venezuelan-hosted-giuliani-as-he-pursued-ukraine-campaign-then-giuliani-lobbied-the-justice-department-on-his-behalf/2019/11/26/272105a2-0ec5-11ea-b0fc-62cc38411ebb_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In an interview with [[Olivia Nuzzi]] in ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine, Giuliani, who is a Roman Catholic of Italian descent, said: "Don't tell me I'm anti-Semitic if I oppose George Soros{{spaces}}... I'm more of a Jew than Soros is." [[George Soros]] is a Hungarian-born [[Jews|Jew]] who survived [[the Holocaust]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/23/rudy-giuliani-asks-not-be-called-anti-semitic-right-saying-im-more-jew-george-soros |access-date=September 11, 2022 |title=Rudy Giuliani Asks Not To Be Called Anti-Semitic Right Before Saying, 'I'm More of a Jew Than [George] Soros' |first=Eoin |last=Higgins |work=Common Dreams |date=December 23, 2019 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807042942/https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/23/rudy-giuliani-asks-not-be-called-anti-semitic-right-saying-im-more-jew-george-soros |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-says-more-of-a-jew-george-soros-report-2019-12 |title=Rudy Giuliani insists he's 'more of a Jew' than George Soros, who survived the Holocaust |first=Sonam |last=Seth |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=December 23, 2019 |access-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125031940/https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-says-more-of-a-jew-george-soros-report-2019-12 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Anti-Defamation League]] replied, "Mr. Giuliani should apologize and retract his comments immediately unless he seeks to [[dog-whistle politics|dog whistle]] to hardcore anti-Semites and white supremacists who believe this garbage."<ref>{{cite news |website=[[The Daily Beast]] |title=Anti-Defamation League Slams Rudy Giuliani for Claiming George Soros Is 'Hardly a Jew' |date=December 23, 2019 |last=Baragona |first=Justin |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-defamation-league-slams-rudy-giuliani-for-claiming-george-soros-is-hardly-a-jew |access-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911173008/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-defamation-league-slams-rudy-giuliani-for-claiming-george-soros-is-hardly-a-jew |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the last days of the Trump administration, when White House aides were soliciting fees to lobby for presidential pardons,<ref name="Schmidt-2021">{{cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|last2=Vogel|first2=Kenneth P.|date=January 17, 2021|title=Prospect of Pardons in Final Days Fuels Market to Buy Access to Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/politics/trump-pardons.html|access-date=January 21, 2021|newspaper=The New York Times|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120160733/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/politics/trump-pardons.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Giuliani said that while he'd heard that large fees were being offered, he did not work on clemency cases, saying "I have enough money. I'm not starving."<ref name="Schmidt-2021" />

As of February 16, 2021, Giuliani was reportedly not actively involved in any of Trump's pending legal cases.<ref name="Acosta-2021">{{cite news|last1=Acosta|first1=Jim|last2=LeBlanc|first2=Paul|date=February 18, 2021|title=Giuliani not currently representing Trump 'in any legal matters,' adviser says|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump/index.html|access-date=February 19, 2021|website=CNN|archive-date=February 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227180415/https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

By 2023, Giuliani had reportedly incurred seven-figure legal fees in cases related to Donald Trump and the [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election]]. In April 2023, Giuliani and his lawyer Robert Costello met twice with Trump at [[Mar-a-Lago]] to ask him for money. In response, a Trump PAC paid $340,000 toward Giuliani's data storage bill.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dicker |first=Ron |date=August 17, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani Went To Mar-A-Lago On A Humiliating Mission: CNN |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-begged-donald-trump-money_n_64de0842e4b00205f646e8b2 |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=HuffPost |language=en |archive-date=August 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817145445/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-begged-donald-trump-money_n_64de0842e4b00205f646e8b2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=Paula |date=2023-09-07 |title=Giuliani facing millions of dollars in unpaid legal bills ahead of fundraiser hosted by Trump |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/giuliani-millions-unpaid-legal-bills-trump-fundraiser-bedminster/index.html |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907235323/https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/giuliani-millions-unpaid-legal-bills-trump-fundraiser-bedminster/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 7, 2024, when Giuliani appeared in court to discuss his bankruptcy case, he told a U.S. Trustee attorney that he was owed about $2 million by the Trump campaign and the [[Republican National Committee|RNC]]. He said the Trump campaign "just paid the expenses. Not all, but most. They never paid the legal fees." He said he did not wish to hold Donald Trump personally responsible for this bill.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blanchet |first=Ben |date=2024-02-08 |title=Rudy Giuliani Makes Big Confession About Trump Campaign In Bankruptcy Court |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-rnc-legal-fees_n_65c49c9be4b069b665de3a43 |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=HuffPost |language=en |archive-date=February 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208145137/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-rnc-legal-fees_n_65c49c9be4b069b665de3a43 |url-status=live }}</ref>  On July 12, 2024, his bankruptcy case was dismissed, and he was not allowed to file for bankruptcy again for one year.<ref name="Kates-2024">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy-case-dismissed-creditors/|title=Judge dismisses Rudy Giuliani's bankruptcy case, clearing way for collectors to pursue debts|last=Kates|first=Graham|date=July 12, 2024|access-date=July 12, 2024|website=CBS News|language=en|archive-date=July 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712193549/https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy-case-dismissed-creditors/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Attempts to get Ukraine to carry out investigations ===
{{further|Trump–Ukraine scandal}}
{{Trump–Ukraine scandal}}

Since at least May 2019, Giuliani has been urging Ukraine's newly elected president, [[Volodymyr Zelensky]], to investigate the oil company [[Burisma Holdings|Burisma]], whose board of directors once included [[Joe Biden]]'s son [[Hunter Biden]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pinkington |first1=Ed |last2=Roth |first2=Andrew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/29/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-biden-trump-impeachment |title=Rudy Giuliani: Ukraine sources detail attempt to construct case against Biden |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 29, 2019 |access-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031121708/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/29/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-biden-trump-impeachment |url-status=live }}</ref> and to check for irregularities in Ukraine's investigation of [[Paul Manafort]]. He said such investigations would benefit his client's defense, and that his efforts had Trump's full support.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html|title=Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump|last=Vogel|first=Kenneth P.|date=May 9, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 20, 2019|archive-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904134954/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Toward this end, Giuliani met with Ukrainian officials throughout 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-defends-conversation-with-ukraine-leader-11568993176|title=Trump Repeatedly Pressed Ukraine President to Investigate Biden's Son|last1=Cullison|first1=Alan|date=September 20, 2019|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=September 21, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190921014320/https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-defends-conversation-with-ukraine-leader-11568993176|archive-date=September 21, 2019|last2=Ballhaus|first2=Rebecca|last3=Volz|first3=Dustin|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="Ballhaus-2021">{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/rudy-giulianis-contacts-with-former-ukrainian-officials-sought-11619823795 |title=Rudy Giuliani's Contacts With Former Ukrainian Officials Sought |first1=Rebecca |last1=Ballhaus |first2=Rebecca Davis |last2=O'Brien |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=May 1, 2021 |access-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-date=June 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601052828/https://www.wsj.com/articles/rudy-giulianis-contacts-with-former-ukrainian-officials-sought-11619823795 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Stern-2019">{{cite news |last1=Stern |first1=David |title=Ukraine lawmaker seeking Biden probe meets with Giuliani in Kyiv |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ukraine-lawmaker-seeking-biden-probe-meets-with-giuliani-in-kyiv/2019/12/05/ead06eae-175b-11ea-80d6-d0ca7007273f_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 5, 2019 |access-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327113129/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ukraine-lawmaker-seeking-biden-probe-meets-with-giuliani-in-kyiv/2019/12/05/ead06eae-175b-11ea-80d6-d0ca7007273f_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2019, ''[[Buzzfeed News]]'' reported that two Soviet-born Americans, [[Lev Parnas]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/09/27/765026582/meet-the-businessman-helping-giuliani-find-dirt-on-democrats-in-ukraine |title=Meet The Businessman Helping Giuliani Try To Find Dirt On Democrats In Ukraine |last=Brady |first=Jeff |date=September 27, 2019 |website=npr.org |access-date=September 28, 2019 |archive-date=September 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928000145/https://www.npr.org/2019/09/27/765026582/meet-the-businessman-helping-giuliani-find-dirt-on-democrats-in-ukraine |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Igor Fruman]], were liaisons between Giuliani and Ukrainian government officials in this effort. [[Lev Parnas|Parnas]] and Fruman, prolific Republican donors, have neither registered as foreign agents in the United States, nor been evaluated and approved by the State Department.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sallah |first1=Michael |last2=Kozyreva |first2=Tanya |last3=Belford |first3=Aubrey |title=Two Unofficial US Operatives Reporting To Trump's Lawyer Privately Lobbied A Foreign Government In A Bid To Help The President Win In 2020 |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mikesallah/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-trump-parnas-fruman |website=[[Buzzfeed News]] |access-date=July 23, 2019 |date=July 22, 2019 |archive-date=July 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722212459/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mikesallah/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-trump-parnas-fruman |url-status=live }}</ref> Giuliani responded, "This (report) is a pathetic effort to cover up what are enormous allegations of criminality by the Biden family."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Budryk |first1=Zack |title=Ukrainian officials and Giuliani are sharing back-channel campaign information: report |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/454133-ukrainian-officials-and-giuliani-are-sharing-back-channel-campaign/ |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=July 23, 2019 |date=July 22, 2019 |archive-date=July 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722232929/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/454133-ukrainian-officials-and-giuliani-are-sharing-back-channel-campaign |url-status=live }}</ref> Yet by September 2019, there had been no clear evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite news |title=Trump: I want to meet my accuser |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/trump-i-want-meet-my-accuser-doc-1kt4vy4 |access-date=October 1, 2019 |date=September 30, 2019 |agency=[[Agence France Presse]] |quote=US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he wants and deserves to meet the anonymous whistleblower at the center of the fast-moving scandal that has triggered an impeachment probe against him{{spaces}}... Brandishing what he said were affidavits incriminating Biden's son Hunter over his work at a Ukrainian company, Giuliani said Trump was duty bound to raise the issue with Kiev. Trump and his allies claim Biden, as Barack Obama's vice president, pressured Kiev to fire the country's top prosecutor to protect his son Hunter, who sat on the board of a gas company, Burisma Holdings, accused of corrupt practices. Those allegations have largely been debunked and there has been no evidence of illegal conduct or wrongdoing in Ukraine by the Bidens. |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001233014/https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/trump-i-want-meet-my-accuser-doc-1kt4vy4 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last1=Matthias |first1=Williams |last2=Polityuk |first2=Pavel |title=Zelenskiy opponents say comments about Europeans to Trump could hurt Ukraine |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-whistleblower-lawmaker-idAFL5N26H3HV |access-date=October 1, 2019 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=September 26, 2019 |quote=Trump pressed Zelenskiy to investigate the business dealings of the son of his political rival, former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic front-runner to challenge Trump in an election next year. Zelenskiy agreed. Biden's son Hunter worked for a company drilling for gas in Ukraine. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden. |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001005323/https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-whistleblower-lawmaker-idAFL5N26H3HV |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last1=Isachenkov |first1=Vladimir |title=Ukraine's prosecutor says there is no probe into Biden |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ukraines-prosecutor-says-there-is-no-probe-into-biden |access-date=October 1, 2019 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 27, 2019 |quote=Though the timing raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice president or his son. |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001005328/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ukraines-prosecutor-says-there-is-no-probe-into-biden |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |title=White House 'tried to cover up details of Trump-Ukraine call' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49842895 |access-date=October 1, 2019 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=September 26, 2019 |quote=There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Bidens. |archive-date=September 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930105132/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49842895 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last1=Timm |first1=Jane |title=There's no evidence for Trump's Biden-Ukraine accusations. What really happened? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/there-s-no-evidence-trump-s-biden-ukraine-accusations-what-n1057851 |access-date=October 1, 2019 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=September 25, 2019 |quote=But despite Trump's continued claims, there's no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of either Biden. |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001005034/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/there-s-no-evidence-trump-s-biden-ukraine-accusations-what-n1057851 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of October 1, 2019, Giuliani hired former [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]] prosecutor Jon Sale to represent him in the House Intelligence Committee's impeachment investigation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/01/rudy-giuliani-hires-attorney-trump-impeachment-probe-015172 |title=Giuliani hires Watergate prosecutor to represent him in House impeachment probe |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=October 1, 2019 |first=Darren |last=Samuelsohn |access-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002001921/https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/01/rudy-giuliani-hires-attorney-trump-impeachment-probe-015172 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.axios.com/rudy-giuliani-lawyer-ukraine-investigation-7b8fd109-d9da-45c4-a689-bfd9b1a50f2c.html |title=Giuliani hires attorney to represent him in Ukraine investigation |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |date=October 1, 2019 |first=Zachary |last=Basu |access-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002001923/https://www.axios.com/rudy-giuliani-lawyer-ukraine-investigation-7b8fd109-d9da-45c4-a689-bfd9b1a50f2c.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The committee also issued a subpoena to Giuliani asking him to release documents related to the Ukraine scandal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/us/politics/impeach-giuliani-subpoena.html |title=House Subpoenas Giuliani, Trump's Lawyer, for Ukraine Records |access-date=May 23, 2023 |first=Nicholas |last=Fandos |author-link=Nicholas Fandos |date=September 30, 2019 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=December 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213142440/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/us/politics/impeach-giuliani-subpoena.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The New York Times'' reported on October 11, 2019, that the [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York]], which Giuliani had once led, was investigating him for violating lobbying laws related to his activities in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|last3=Vogel|first3=Kenneth P.|last4=Rashbaum|first4=William K.|date=October 11, 2019|title=Giuliani is said to be under investigation for Ukraine work|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-investigation.html|access-date=October 16, 2019|archive-date=October 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014123938/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-investigation.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The following month, ''Bloomberg News'' reported that the investigation could extend to bribery of foreign officials or conspiracy, and ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported Giuliani was being investigated for a possible profit motive in a Ukrainian natural gas venture.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Strohm|first1=Chris|last2=Fabian|first2=Jordan|date=November 14, 2019|title=Giuliani faces U.S. probe on campaign finance, lobbying breaches|work=Bloomberg|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-15/giuliani-faces-u-s-probe-on-campaign-finance-lobbying-breaches|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=October 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016174212/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-15/giuliani-faces-u-s-probe-on-campaign-finance-lobbying-breaches|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-prosecutors-probe-giulianis-links-to-ukrainian-energy-projects-11573837576?mod=hp_lead_pos6 |title=Federal Prosecutors Probe Giuliani's Links to Ukrainian Energy Projects |date=November 15, 2019 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |first=Rebecca Davis |last=O'Brien |access-date=November 25, 2019 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231160021/https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-prosecutors-probe-giulianis-links-to-ukrainian-energy-projects-11573837576?mod=hp_lead_pos6 |url-status=live }}</ref> Giuliani has denied having any interest in a Ukrainian natural gas venture.<ref name="Musto-2019" /> In late November, the ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that federal prosecutors had just issued subpoenas to multiple associates of Giuliani to potentially investigate certain individuals, apparently including Giuliani, on numerous potential charges, including money laundering, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to defraud the United States, making false statements to the federal government, and mail/wire fraud.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tim |last=O'Donnell |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/880880/money-laundering-conspiracy-defraud-reportedly-among-charges-under-consideration-investigation-related-rudy-giuliani |title=Rudy on the ropes: Money laundering, conspiracy to defraud U.S. reportedly among charges under consideration in investigation related to Rudy Giuliani |work=[[The Week]] online |date=November 25, 2019 |access-date=May 22, 2023 |archive-date=December 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211112749/https://theweek.com/speedreads/880880/money-laundering-conspiracy-defraud-reportedly-among-charges-under-consideration-investigation-related-rudy-giuliani |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="O'Brien-2019"/>

Parnas and Fruman were arrested for campaign finance violations<ref>{{cite news |first1=Devlin |last1=Barrett |first2=John |last2=Wagner |title=Two business associates of Trump's personal lawyer Giuliani have been arrested on campaign finance charges |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 10, 2019 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/two-business-associates-of-trumps-personal-lawyer-giuliani-have-been-arrested-and-are-in-custody/2019/10/10/9f9c101a-eb63-11e9-9306-47cb0324fd44_story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191010142412/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/two-business-associates-of-trumps-personal-lawyer-giuliani-have-been-arrested-and-are-in-custody/2019/10/10/9f9c101a-eb63-11e9-9306-47cb0324fd44_story.html |archive-date=October 10, 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2019 }}</ref> while attempting to board a one-way flight to Frankfurt<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Orden |first=Erica |user=eorden |number=1182368717373673473 |date=October 10, 2019 |title=The two Giuliani associates detained yesterday at Dulles were en route to Frankfurt to connect to another flight, according to a law enforcement source, per @ShimonPro. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman purchased their one-way tickets recently, the source said. |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> from [[Washington Dulles International Airport]] on October 9, 2019.<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Faulders |first=Katherine |user=KFaulders |number=1182305091346452480 |date=October 10, 2019 |title=Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested at Dulles International airport last night as they attempted to leave the country, a DOJ official tells @PierreTABC. AG Barr was told last night they were being arrested. |access-date=May 25, 2023 }}</ref> Giuliani was paid $500,000 to consult for Lev Parnas's company named "Fraud Guarantee".<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-investigation.html|title=Giuliani Is Said to Be Under Investigation for Ukraine Work|last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|date=October 11, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 10, 2019|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Vogel|first3=Kenneth P.|last4=Rashbaum|first4=William K.|archive-date=October 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014123938/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-investigation.html|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite news|date=October 15, 2019|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-was-paid-500000-by-company-owned-by-two-arrested-associates/2019/10/15/8a2c669a-ef4f-11e9-89eb-ec56cd414732_story.html|title=Giuliani was paid $500,000 by company founded by arrested associate|last=Dawsey|first=Josh|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|access-date=November 10, 2019|archive-date=November 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120130409/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giuliani-was-paid-500000-by-company-owned-by-two-arrested-associates/2019/10/15/8a2c669a-ef4f-11e9-89eb-ec56cd414732_story.html|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite news |first1=Karen |last1=Freifeld |first2=Aram |last2=Roston |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-whistleblower-giuliani-excl-idUSKBN1WU07Z |title=Exclusive: Trump lawyer Giuliani was paid $500,000 to consult on indicted associate's firm |date=October 16, 2019 |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=November 10, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=January 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131023430/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-whistleblower-giuliani-excl-idUSKBN1WU07Z |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news|first=Allan|last=Smith|date=October 14, 2019|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-says-he-has-nothing-do-oligarch-edges-trump-ukraine-n1065826|title=Giuliani says he has 'nothing to do with' oligarch at edges of Trump-Ukraine affair|website=NBC News|language=en|access-date=November 10, 2019|archive-date=November 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109085921/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-says-he-has-nothing-do-oligarch-edges-trump-ukraine-n1065826|url-status=live}}
* {{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rudy-giulianis-relationship-arrested-men-subject-criminal-investigation/story?id=66212654|title=Rudy Giuliani's relationship with arrested men is subject of criminal investigation: Sources|last1=Katersky|first1=Aaron|date=October 11, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011164943/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rudy-giulianis-relationship-arrested-men-subject-criminal-investigation/story?id=66212654|archive-date=October 11, 2019|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|last2=Margolin|first2=Josh}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2019/10/15/indicted-giuliani-associate-firm-paid-him-500000 |title=Giuliani says he was paid $500,000 to work for indicted associate's firm Fraud Guarantee |website=Axios |first=Rebecca |last=Falconer |date=October 15, 2019 |language=en |access-date=November 10, 2019 |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121545/https://www.axios.com/2019/10/15/indicted-giuliani-associate-firm-paid-him-500000 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |date=October 15, 2019 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/15/trump-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-ukraine-business-investigation/3986079002/ |access-date=December 12, 2019 |title=Federal investigators have been looking into Giuliani's dealings in Ukraine since early 2019 |first1=Kevin |last1=McCoy |first2=Kevin |last2=Johnson |work=[[USA Today]] |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112045059/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/15/trump-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-ukraine-business-investigation/3986079002/ |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-prosecutors-scrutinize-rudy-giuliani-s-ukraine-business-dealings-finances-11571092100|title=Federal Prosecutors Scrutinize Rudy Giuliani's Ukraine Business Dealings, Finances|last1=Viswanatha|first1=Aruna|last2=O'Brien|first2=Rebecca Davis|website=The Wall Street Journal|language=en-US|access-date=November 10, 2019|last3=Ballhaus|first3=Rebecca|date=October 15, 2019|archive-date=November 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107023901/https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-prosecutors-scrutinize-rudy-giuliani-s-ukraine-business-dealings-finances-11571092100|url-status=live}}</ref> Republican donor and Trump supporter Long Island attorney Charles Gucciardo paid Giuliani on behalf of Fraud Guarantee in two $250,000 payments, in September and October 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/politics/ukraine-giuliani-charles-gucciardo.html|title=Behind the Deal That Put Giuliani Together With a Dirt-Hunting Partner|last1=Vogel|first1=Kenneth P.|date=November 6, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 10, 2019|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Nir|first3=Sarah Maslin|archive-date=November 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109202915/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/politics/ukraine-giuliani-charles-gucciardo.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-giuliani-idUSKBN1XH29L |first=Karen |last=Freifeld |title=New York lawyer is source of $500,000 paid to Trump attorney Giuliani |date=November 8, 2019 |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=November 10, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=November 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110024927/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-giuliani-idUSKBN1XH29L |url-status=live }}</ref> Fruman eventually pled guilty in September 2021 to having solicited a contribution by a foreign national.<ref>{{cite news |last=Orden |first=Erica |date=September 10, 2021 |title=Giuliani associate Igor Fruman pleads guilty to solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/10/politics/igor-fruman-plea/index.html |access-date=September 10, 2021 |website=CNN |archive-date=September 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913105253/https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/10/politics/igor-fruman-plea/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2019, Giuliani described Ukraine's chief prosecutor [[Yuriy Lutsenko]] as a "much more honest guy" than his predecessor, Viktor Shokin. After Lutsenko was removed from office, he said in September 2019 that he found no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and that he had met Giuliani about ten times. Giuliani then reversed his stance, saying that Shokin is the one people "should have spoken to", while Lutsenko acted "corruptly" and "is exactly the prosecutor that Joe Biden put {{Not a typo|in |in}} order to tank the case".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Przybyla |first1=Heidi |last2=Smith |first2=Allan |title=Giuliani turns on 'honest' Ukrainian prosecutor who says Bidens did nothing illegal |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-turns-honest-ukrainian-prosecutor-who-says-bidens-did-nothing-n1060941 |access-date=October 2, 2019 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=October 2, 2019 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002011932/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/giuliani-turns-honest-ukrainian-prosecutor-who-says-bidens-did-nothing-n1060941 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 2019, as reports surfaced that a whistleblower was alleging high-level misconduct related to Ukraine, Giuliani went on CNN to discuss the story. When asked if he had tried to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Biden, he initially replied "No, actually I didn't", but thirty seconds later said, "Of course I did".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/462277-giuliani-says-of-course-he-asked-ukraine-to-look-into-biden-seconds/|title=Giuliani says 'of course' he asked Ukraine to look into Biden seconds after denying it|last=Frazin|first=Rachel|date=September 19, 2019|work=The Hill|access-date=September 20, 2019|archive-date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920051724/https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/462277-giuliani-says-of-course-he-asked-ukraine-to-look-into-biden-seconds|url-status=live}}</ref> In a later tweet he seemed to confirm reports that Trump had withheld military assistance funds scheduled for Ukraine unless they carried out the investigation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2019/9/20/20875471/rudy-giuliani-chris-cuomo-cnn-meltdown-trump-ukraine-cnn|title=Rudy Giuliani's viral CNN meltdown over Trump and Ukraine, briefly explained|last=Rupar|first=Aaron|date=September 20, 2019|work=Vox|access-date=September 20, 2019|archive-date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920201949/https://www.vox.com/2019/9/20/20875471/rudy-giuliani-chris-cuomo-cnn-meltdown-trump-ukraine-cnn|url-status=live}}</ref> He said, "The reality is that the president of the United States, whoever he is, has every right to tell the president of another country you better straighten out the corruption in your country if you want me to give you a lot of money. If you're so damn corrupt that you can't investigate allegations{{snd}}our money is going to get squandered."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/20/politics/donald-trump-whistleblower/index.html|title=New revelations deepen scandal over Trump whistleblower complaint|last=Collinson|first=Stephen|date=September 12, 2019|work=CNN|access-date=September 20, 2019|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925013345/https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/20/politics/donald-trump-whistleblower/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Tom Bossert]], a former [[Homeland Security Advisor]] in the Trump administration, described Giuliani's theory that Ukraine was involved in 2016 U.S. election interference as "debunked"; Giuliani responded that Bossert "doesn't know what the hell he's talking about".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samuels |first1=Brett |last2=Chaflant |first2=Morgan |title=GOP uneasy with Giuliani |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/463940-gop-uneasy-with-giuliani/ |access-date=October 2, 2019 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=October 1, 2019 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002050216/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/463940-gop-uneasy-with-giuliani |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 30, 2019, the House Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena to Giuliani asking him to release documents concerning the Ukraine scandal to Committee members by October 15, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/30/politics/giuliani-hpsci-subpoena-letter-/index.html|title=READ: Letter from House Democrats announcing subpoena for Rudy Giuliani|website=CNN|date=September 30, 2019|access-date=July 1, 2022|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130014756/https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/30/politics/giuliani-hpsci-subpoena-letter-/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On October 2, 2019, [[Steve Linick]], the State Department's inspector general, delivered a 40-page packet of apparent disinformation regarding former vice president [[Joe Biden]] and former ambassador to Ukraine, [[Marie Yovanovitch]], to Capitol Hill. Linick told congressional aides his office questioned [[Ulrich Brechbuhl]], Pompeo's advisor about the origins of the packet. Brechbuhl noted the packet came to him from [[Mike Pompeo|Pompeo]], who said it "came over", and Brechbuhl reportedly presumed it was from the White House. Later that day, Giuliani acknowledged he passed the packet to Pompeo regarding Ukraine and attacks on Yovanovitch. In a November 2019 interview he confirmed that he had "needed Yovanovitch out of the way" because she was going to make his investigations difficult.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/23/the-ukrainian-prosecutor-behind-trumps-impeachment|title=The Ukrainian Prosecutor Behind Trump's Impeachment|last=Entous|first=Adam|date=December 16, 2019|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=December 16, 2019|archive-date=December 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216214723/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/23/the-ukrainian-prosecutor-behind-trumps-impeachment|url-status=live}}</ref> "They (the State Department) told me they would investigate it," Giuliani added.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/02/state-department-inspector-general-urgent-ukraine-briefing/3840218002/ |title='Mysterious' packet of Ukraine disinformation arrives on Capitol Hill amid Trump impeachment inquiry |last1=Shesgreen |first1=Deirdre |last2=Wu |first2=Nicholas |date=October 2, 2019 |website=[[USA Today]] |language=en-US |access-date=November 10, 2019 |last3=Cummings |first3=William }}</ref> Giuliani persuaded Trump to remove Yovanovitch from office in spring 2019. By April 2021, the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan was investigating the role of Giuliani and his associates in Yovanovitch's removal.<ref name="Ballhaus-2021"/><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/nyregion/giuliani-yovanovitch-search-warrant-ukraine.html |title=Firing of U.S. Ambassador Is at Center of Giuliani Investigation |access-date=May 23, 2023 |first1=Ben |last1=Protess |first2=William K. |last2=Rashbaum |first3=Kenneth P. |last3=Vogel |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 29, 2021}}</ref>

[[United States Ambassador to the European Union|U.S. ambassador to the European Union]] [[Gordon Sondland]] testified that Trump delegated American foreign policy on Ukraine to Giuliani.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/us/politics/gordon-sondland-testimony.html|title=Gordon Sondland, E.U. Envoy, Testifies Trump Delegated Ukraine Policy to Giuliani|last1=Fandos|first1=Nicholas|date=October 17, 2019|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 10, 2019|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S.|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The late 2019 [[impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump]] centered around Giuliani's actions involving Ukraine. In the compiled testimony and in the December reports of the [[House Intelligence Committee]], Giuliani's name was mentioned more than any but Trump's.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/08/us/politics/giuliani-trump-impeachment.html|title=The Indispensable Man: How Giuliani Led Trump to the Brink of Impeachment|last1=Dwyer|first1=Jim|date=December 8, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 9, 2019|last2=Becker|first2=Jo|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Vogel|first3=Kenneth P.|last4=Haberman|first4=Maggie|last5=Nir|first5=Sarah Maslin}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-giulianis-dual-roles-power-broker-for-hire-and-shadow-foreign-policy-adviser/2019/12/08/f9ab9c4c-1773-11ea-9110-3b34ce1d92b1_story.html|title=Inside Giuliani's dual roles: Power-broker-for-hire and shadow foreign policy adviser|last1=Dawsey|first1=Josh|last2=Helderman|first2=Rosalind S.|date=December 8, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209040024/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-giulianis-dual-roles-power-broker-for-hire-and-shadow-foreign-policy-adviser/2019/12/08/f9ab9c4c-1773-11ea-9110-3b34ce1d92b1_story.html|archive-date=December 9, 2019|access-date=December 8, 2019|last3=Hamburger|first3=Tom|last4=Barrett|first4=Devlin}}</ref> Some experts suggested that Giuliani may have violated the [[Logan Act]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/rudy-giuliani-s-former-doj-colleagues-believe-he-committed-crimes-n1059861|title=Rudy Giuliani's former DOJ colleagues believe he committed crimes|last=Shapiro|first=Rich|date=September 27, 2019|website=NBC News|language=en|access-date=December 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/giulianis-role-as-unofficial-envoy-faces-scrutiny-with-rough-transcript-release/2019/09/25/f85dcc9e-f0dd-421b-8941-fcfb5de074db_story.html|title=Giuliani's role as unofficial envoy faces scrutiny with rough transcript release|last=Hudson|first=John|date=September 25, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926113658/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/giulianis-role-as-unofficial-envoy-faces-scrutiny-with-rough-transcript-release/2019/09/25/f85dcc9e-f0dd-421b-8941-fcfb5de074db_story.html|archive-date=September 26, 2019|access-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-25/giuliani-hunted-corruption-now-the-legal-peril-may-be-his-own|title=Giuliani Hunted Corruption. Now the Legal Peril May Be His|last1=Farrell|first1=Greg|last2=Voreacos|first2=David|date=September 25, 2019|website=bloomberg.com|publisher=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|url-access=limited|access-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref>

On November 22, 2019, Giuliani sent a letter to Senator [[Lindsey Graham]], chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, informing him of at least three witnesses from Ukraine who Giuliani said had direct oral, documentary, and recorded evidence of Democratic criminal conspiracy with Ukrainians to prevent Trump's election and, after his election, to remove him from office via contrived charges. Giuliani's letter also claims that the witnesses had evidence of the Biden family's involvement in bribery, money laundering, Hobbs Act extortion, and other possible crimes. The letter sought Graham's help obtaining U.S. visas for the witnesses to testify.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/436505018/Giuliani-letter-to-Sen-Graham|title=Giuliani letter to Sen. Graham |via=Scribd |work=Rudolph W. Giuliani, PLLC |language=en|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Musto-2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-indicted-joe-biden-liar|title=Rudy Giuliani says he's not afraid of being indicted, labels Joe Biden a 'liar'|last=Musto|first=Julia|date=November 23, 2019|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref> The next month, Graham invited Giuliani to share his findings with the Judiciary Committee, and soon advised him "to share what he got from Ukraine with the [intelligence community] to make sure it's not Russia propaganda".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/14/lindsey-graham-rudy-giuliani-ukraine-085061|title=Lindsey Graham invites Rudy Giuliani to Judiciary panel to discuss recent Ukraine visit|first=Burgess|last=Everett|website=[[Politico]]|access-date=December 31, 2019|date=December 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-senators-are-avoiding-rudy-giuliani-ahead-of-impeachment-trial|title=Graham: Rudy Should Scrub Evidence for Russian Propaganda|first1=Erin |last1=Banco |first2=Asawin|last2=Suebsaeng|date=December 29, 2019|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=December 31, 2019}}</ref>

[[Dmytro Firtash|Dmytry Firtash]] is a [[Ukrainian oligarch]] who is prominent in the natural gas sector. In 2017, the Justice Department characterized him as being an "upper echelon (associate) of Russian organized crime".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/26/feds-call-ex-manafort-associate-dmytro-firtash-top-tier-player-russian-organized-crime/514131001/ |title=Feds call ex-Manafort associate Dmytro Firtash a top-tier player in Russian organized crime |first=Doug |last=Stanglin |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=July 26, 2017 |access-date=November 19, 2019 }}</ref> Since his 2014 arrest in [[Vienna, Austria]], at the request of American authorities, he has been living there on $155&nbsp;million bail while fighting extradition to the United States on bribery and racketeering charges, and has been seeking to have the charges dropped.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grey |first1=Stephen |last2=Bergin |first2=Tom |last3=Musaieva |first3=Sevgil |last4=Anin |first4=Roman |author-link4=Roman Anin |date=November 26, 2014 |editor-last=Woods |editor-first=Richard |editor2-last=Williams |editor2-first=Michael |title=SPECIAL REPORT-Putin's allies channelled billions to Ukraine oligarch |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-capitalism-gas-special-report-pix-idUSL3N0TF4QD20141126 |website=[[Reuters]] |location=Moscow/Kyiv |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}</ref> Firtash's attorneys obtained a September 2019 statement<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/427618359-Shokin-Statement-1.pdf |title=Witness Statement of Victor Micolajovich Shokin |date=September 4, 2019 |website=Factcheck.org |access-date=May 21, 2021 }}</ref> from Viktor Shokin, the former Ukrainian prosecutor general who was forced out under pressure from multiple countries and non-governmental organizations, as conveyed to Ukraine by Joe Biden. Shokin falsely asserted in the statement that Biden actually had him fired because he refused to stop his investigation into Burisma. Giuliani, who asserts he has "nothing to do with" and has "never met or talked to" Firtash, promoted the statement in television appearances as purported evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens. Giuliani told CNN he met with a Firtash attorney for two hours in New York City at the time he was seeking information about the Bidens.<ref name="Shuster-2019" /><ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1198985975298449409 |user=RudyGiuliani |title=The NYT today has so much #FAKENEWS! 1. I did not ask anyone to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and certainly not with Dimitry Firtash, who I have never met or talked to. 2. I never heard of Shokin meeting w/Congressman Nunes. How many times can a source lie? Law suit? |first=Rudy |last=Giuliani |date=November 25, 2019 |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/27/politics/rudy-giuliani-ukranian-oligarch/index.html |title=Rudy Giuliani gives shifting answers on seeking information from Ukrainian oligarch |first=Andrew |last=Kaczynski |website=CNN |date=November 27, 2019 |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}</ref>

Firtash is represented by Trump and Giuliani associates [[Joseph diGenova]] and his wife [[Victoria Toensing]], having hired them on Parnas's recommendation in July 2019.<ref name="Dilanian-2019" /> ''The New York Times'' reported in November 2019 that Giuliani had directed Parnas to approach Firtash with the recommendation, with the proposition that Firtash could help provide damaging information on Biden, which Parnas' attorney described was "part of any potential resolution to [Firtash's] extradition matter".<ref>{{Cite news |access-date=May 23, 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/giuliani-ukraine-oligarchs.html |title=Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Look for Dirt |first1=Jo |last1=Becker |first2=Walt |last2=Bogdanich |first3=Maggie |last3=Haberman |author-link3=Maggie Haberman |first4=Ben |last4=Protess |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 25, 2019}}</ref> Shokin's statement notes that it was prepared "at the request of lawyers acting for Dmitry Firtash ('DF'), for use in legal proceedings in Austria".<ref name="Dilanian-2019">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/ukrainian-oligarch-firtash-linked-giuliani-pals-gas-deals-biden-dirt-n1067516 |title=Oligarch Firtash linked to Giuliani pals' gas deals and Biden research |work=NBC News |first1=Ken |last1=Dilanian |first2=Dan |last2=De Luce |first3=Tom |last3=Winter |date=October 16, 2019 |access-date=October 18, 2019 }}</ref><ref name="Shuster-2019">{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5699201/exclusive-how-a-ukrainian-oligarch-wanted-by-u-s-authorities-helped-giuliani-attack-biden/ |first=Simon |last=Shuster |date=October 15, 2019 |title=How a Ukrainian Oligarch Wanted by U.S. Authorities Helped Giuliani Attack Biden |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=October 18, 2019 }}</ref> Giuliani presented the Shokin statement during American television appearances. ''Bloomberg News'' reported on October 18 that during the summer of 2019 Firtash associates began attempting to dig up dirt on the Bidens in an effort to solicit Giuliani's assistance with Firtash's legal matters. ''Bloomberg News'' also reported that its sources told them Giuliani's high-profile publicity of the Shokin statement had greatly reduced the chances of the Justice Department dropping the charges against Firtash, as it would appear to be a political ''quid pro quo''.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-18/to-win-giuliani-s-help-oligarch-s-allies-pursued-biden-dirt |work=Bloomberg News |title=To Win Giuliani's Help, Oligarch's Allies Pursued Biden Dirt |date=October 18, 2019 |first1=Stephanie |last1=Baker |first2=Irina |last2=Reznik |access-date=October 19, 2019 }}</ref> diGenova has said he has known U.S. Attorney General [[William Barr|Bill Barr]] for thirty years, as they both worked in the Reagan Justice Department.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/01/politics/parnas-firtash-giuliani-ties/index.html |title='I'm the best-paid interpreter in the world': Indicted Giuliani associate touted windfall from Ukrainian oligarch |first1=Vicky |last1=Ward |first2=Marshall |last2=Cohen |date=November 1, 2019 |website=CNN |access-date=21 December 2023}}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' reported on October 22 that after they began representing Firtash, Toensing and diGenova secured a rare face-to-face meeting with Barr to argue the Firtash charges should be dropped, but he declined to intervene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/prosecutors-flagged-possible-ties-between-ukrainian-gas-tycoon-and-giuliani-associates/2019/10/22/4ee22e7c-f020-11e9-b648-76bcf86eb67e_story.html |date=October 22, 2019 |title=Prosecutors flagged possible ties between Ukrainian gas tycoon and Giuliani associates |first1=Matt |last1=Zapotosky |last2=Helderman |first2=Rosalind S. Helderman |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=October 25, 2019 }}</ref>

On October 18, ''The New York Times'' reported that weeks earlier, before his associates Parnas and Fruman were indicted, Giuliani met with officials with the criminal and fraud divisions of the Justice Department regarding what Giuliani characterized as a "very, very sensitive" foreign bribery case involving a client of his. The ''Times'' did not name whom the case involved, but shortly after publication of the story Giuliani told a reporter it was not Firtash.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/politics/giuliani-business.html |title=Giuliani Mixes His Business With Role as Trump's Lawyer |first1=Kenneth P. |last1=Vogel |first2=Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |first3=Katie |last3=Benner |date=October 18, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |url-access=limited |access-date=October 25, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |user=dfriedman33 |number=1185398172648120320 |title=Asked Giuliani if the recent meeting he had at DOJ involved Firtash or his case, as many people are speculating. Rudy texted: 'It did not.' |first=Dan |last=Friedman |date=October 18, 2019 |access-date=October 25, 2019 }}</ref> Two days later, the Justice Department said its officials would not have met with Giuliani had they known his associates were under investigation by the [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|SDNY]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/20/politics/justie-department-distances-rudy-giuliani-brian-benczkowski-meeting/index.html|title=Justice Department distances itself from Giuliani|first=Evan |last=Perez |website=CNN |date=October 21, 2019 |access-date=October 25, 2019 }}</ref>

On December 3, 2019, the House Intelligence Committee's report included phone records acquired via subpoenas, including numerous phone calls made by Giuliani between April and August 2019.<ref name="House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence-2019">{{cite web|url=https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20191203_-_full_report___hpsci_impeachment_inquiry_-_20191203.pdf|title=Report of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Pursuant to H. Res. 660 in Consultation with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs|last=House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|date=December 3, 2019|website=U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204093152/https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20191203_-_full_report___hpsci_impeachment_inquiry_-_20191203.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Rp|58–59, 116–117, 155–159}} Calls involved Giuliani in contact with Kurt Volker,<ref name="House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence-2019" />{{Rp|58}} Republican representative and House Intelligence Committee ranking member [[Devin Nunes]],<ref name="House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence-2019" />{{Rp|155}} Lev Parnas,<ref name="House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence-2019" />{{Rp|156}} numbers associated with the Office of Management and Budget and the White House switchboard,<ref name="House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence-2019" />{{Rp|116–117}} and an unidentified White House official whose phone number is referenced as "-1".<ref name="House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence-2019" />{{Rp|58, 117, 156, 158–159}} Chairman [[Adam Schiff]] of the House Intelligence Committee announced after the report's release that his committee was investigating whether "-1" referred to President Trump,<ref name="Wire-2019">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-12-03/house-committee-votes-impeachment-report|title=Schiff says probe will continue after impeachment report finds 'overwhelming evidence' Trump abused office|date=December 4, 2019 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |access-date=December 6, 2019 |first1=Sarah D. |last1=Wire |first2=Jennifer |last2=Haberkorn}}</ref> citing grand jury evidence from the trial of convicted Trump-associate [[Roger Stone]] in which the phone number "-1" was shown to have referred to Trump.<ref name="Wire-2019" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-calls-1.html |title=A Mysterious '-1' and Other Call Records Show How Giuliani Pressured Ukraine |last1=LaFraniere |first1=Sharon |date=December 3, 2019 |work=The New York Times|access-date=December 6, 2019 |last2=Barnes |first2=Julian E. |language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Writing for ''The Washington Post'', analyst Philip Bump reasoned that Giuliani's calls with "-1" are 'likely' calls with Trump citing that Giuliani speaks longer with "-1" than any other person,<ref name="Bump-2019">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/04/why-giulianis-calls-with-are-likely-calls-with-trump/ |title=Analysis {{!}} Why Giuliani's calls with '-1' are likely calls with Trump |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=December 4, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205123444/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/04/why-giulianis-calls-with-are-likely-calls-with-trump/ |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |access-date=December 6, 2019}}</ref> "-1" always calls Giuliani, and generally after Giuliani calls the White House switchboard,<ref name="Bump-2019" /> and timing of some of President Trump's actions shortly after Giuliani's calls with "-1" ended.<ref name="Bump-2019" />

In early December 2019, while the House Judiciary Committee began holding public hearings for the impeachment inquiry, Giuliani returned to Ukraine to interview former Ukrainian officials for a documentary series seeking to discredit the impeachment proceedings.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/us/politics/giuliani-europe-impeachment.html|title=Giuliani, Facing Scrutiny, Travels to Europe to Interview Ukrainians |last1=Vogel |first1=Kenneth P. |date=December 4, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 6, 2019|last2=Novak|first2=Benjamin|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> U.S. officials told ''The Washington Post'' that Giuliani would have been considered a target of Russian intelligence efforts from early in Trump's presidency, and particularly after Giuliani turned his focus to Ukraine{{snd}}a former Soviet republic under [[Russo-Ukrainian War|attack from Russia]] and with deep penetration by Russian intelligence services.<ref name="Sonne-2019">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/phone-logs-in-impeachment-report-renew-concern-about-security-of-trump-communications/2019/12/05/2066fbf4-16fe-11ea-8406-df3c54b3253e_story.html |title=Phone logs in impeachment report renew concern about security of Trump communications |last1=Sonne |first1=Paul |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |date=December 5, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206084259/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/phone-logs-in-impeachment-report-renew-concern-about-security-of-trump-communications/2019/12/05/2066fbf4-16fe-11ea-8406-df3c54b3253e_story.html |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |access-date=December 6, 2019 |last3=Nakashima |first3=Ellen |last4=Miller |first4=Greg}}</ref> Analysts say Trump's and Giuliani's habit of communicating over unencrypted lines makes it highly likely that foreign intelligence agencies could be listening in on the president's unsecured calls with Giuliani; and that foreign intelligence agencies often collect intelligence about a primary target through monitoring communications of other people who interact with that target.<ref name="Sonne-2019" />

''NBC News'' reported in December 2020 that [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|SDNY]] investigators, which were reported in late 2019 to be investigating Giuliani's activities,<ref name="O'Brien-2019">{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-subpoenas-seek-information-on-giulianis-consulting-business-11574712722 |title=Federal Subpoenas Seek Information on Giuliani's Consulting Business |first1=Rebecca Davis |last1=O'Brien |first2=Rebecca |last2=Ballhaus |first3=Shelby |last3=Holliday |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=November 25, 2019 |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> had discussed with Justice Department officials in Washington the possibility of acquiring Giuliani's emails, which might require headquarters approval due to protection by [[attorney–client privilege]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/feds-have-discussed-making-legal-request-giuliani-s-electronic-communications-n1250714 |title=Feds have discussed obtaining Giuliani's electronic communications |website=NBC News |date=December 22, 2020 |first1=Julia |last1=Ainsley |first2=Tom |last2=Winter |first3=Lisa |last3=Ferri |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> ''The New York Times'' reported in February 2021 that the SDNY had requested a search warrant of Giuliani's electronic records in summer 2020, but were met with resistance from high-level political appointees in the Washington headquarters, ostensibly because the election was near, while career officials were supportive of the search warrant. The Justice Department generally avoids taking significant actions relating to political figures that might become public within sixty days of an election. Senior political appointees nevertheless opposed the effort after the election, noting Giuliani played a leading role in challenging the election results. The officials deferred the matter to the incoming Biden administration.<ref name="Protess-2021">{{cite news |last1=Protess |first1=Ben |title=Trump Justice Department Sought to Block Search of Giuliani Records |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/nyregion/giuliani-trump-subpoena.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 10, 2021 |access-date=May 29, 2023 }}</ref>

Federal investigators in Manhattan executed search warrants on the early morning of April 28, 2021, at Giuliani's office and Upper East Side apartment, seizing his electronic devices and searching the apartment.<ref name="Rashbaum-2021">{{Cite news|last1=Rashbaum|first1=William K.|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|date=April 28, 2021|title=Federal Investigators Execute Search Warrant at Rudy Giuliani's Apartment|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/28/nyregion/rudy-giuliani-trump-ukraine-warrant.html|access-date=April 28, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Erica|last=Orden|title=Federal agents execute search warrant on Rudy Giuliani's apartment|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/28/politics/rudy-giuliani-federal-prosecutors/index.html|access-date=April 28, 2021|website=CNN|date=April 28, 2021}}</ref> FBI agents also executed a search warrant that day on Toensing's Washington, D.C.-area home and confiscated her cellphone.<ref name="Rashbaum-2021" /> In April 2021, Giuliani's attorney said investigators told him they had searched his client's [[iCloud]] account beginning in late 2019, later arguing to a judge that the search was illegal and so the subsequent raid on Giuliani's properties was "fruit of this poisoned tree," demanding to review documents justifying the iCloud search.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-got-into-rudy-giulianis-icloud-with-a-covert-warrant-while-he-repped-trump-in-2019-lawyer-says |title=Lawyer: Feds Got Into Rudy's iCloud With 'Covert Warrant' While He Repped Trump in 2019 |first1=Asawin |last1=Suebsaeng |first2=Adam |last2=Rawnsley |newspaper=The Daily Beast |date=April 30, 2021 |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}</ref> In May 2021, the [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|SDNY]] confirmed in a court filing that in late 2019 it obtained search warrants for Giuliani's iCloud account, and that of Toensing, as part of "an ongoing, multi-year grand jury investigation into conduct involving Giuliani, Toensing, and others," and argued that attorneys for Giuliani and Toensing were not entitled to review the underlying documents of the warrants prior to any charges. Giuliani and Toensing asserted their [[attorney-client privilege]] with clients may have been violated by the iCloud searches, which investigators disputed, saying they employed a "[[taint (legal)|filter team]]" to prevent them from seeing information potentially protected by attorney-client privilege.<ref>
* {{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/17/politics/giuliani-search-review/index.html |title=Giuliani's attorneys argue recent search warrants are 'fruit of this poisoned tree' after 'illegal' iCloud search review in 2019 |first=Erica |last=Orden |date=May 17, 2021 |website=CNN |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}
* {{cite news |last1=Neumeister |first1=Larry |title=Feds: 18 electronic devices seized from Giuliani and firm |url=https://apnews.com/article/ny-state-wire-donald-trump-europe-business-government-and-politics-ee268ae04ecbd716590c8cfb605d9fc7 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 20, 2021 |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}
* {{cite news |access-date=May 23, 2023 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/20/politics/rudy-giuliani-raid/index.html|title=Prosecutors took 18 electronic devices from Rudy Giuliani's home and office in April raid |first1=Kara |last1=Scannell |first2=Erica |last2=Orden |website=CNN |date=May 20, 2021}}
* {{cite web|url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/rudy-giuliani-and-victoria-toensing-are-not-above-the-law-because-of-their-important-clients-feds-say/|title=Rudy Giuliani and Victoria Toensing Are Not 'Above the Law' Because of Their 'Important Clients,' Feds Say |date=May 21, 2021 |work=Law and Crime |first=Adam |last=Klasfeld |access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref> Federal judge [[J. Paul Oetken]] days later ruled in favor of investigators regarding the warrant documents and granted their request for a [[special master]] to ensure attorney-client privilege was maintained.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/judge-approves-special-master-denies-rudy-giuliani-and-victoria-toensings-requests-for-details-of-governments-probe/ |title=Judge Approves Special Master, Denies Rudy Giuliani and Victoria Toensing's Requests for Details of Government's Probe |date=May 28, 2021 |work=Law and Crime |first=Adam |last=Klasfeld |access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref> The special master released more than 3,000 of Giuliani's communications to prosecutors in January 2022, agreeing to withhold forty messages for which Giuliani had asserted "privilege and/or highly personal" status and rejecting 37 such assertions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thousands of Giuliani's communications turned over to Manhattan U.S. attorney following privilege review |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/giuliani-privilege-fruman-sentence/2022/01/21/1a74ecc2-7ad6-11ec-bf97-6eac6f77fba2_story.html |access-date=May 23, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 21, 2022 |first=Shayna |last=Jacobs}}</ref>

''The New York Times'' reported in February 2021 that the [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|SDNY]] was scrutinizing Giuliani's association with Firtash in efforts to discredit the Bidens, and efforts to lobby the Trump administration on behalf of Ukrainian officials and oligarchs.<ref name="Protess-2021"/> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported in May 2021 it had spoken with three unidentified witnesses who said they were questioned by investigators, two of whom said they had worked with Giuliani while cooperating with investigators; one witness said investigators were particularly interested in Giuliani's association with Firtash.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/6020207/rudy-giuliani-investigation-witnesses/|title=Long Before Raiding Rudy Giuliani's Home, Investigators Sought 'Everything' From His Associates|magazine=Time|first=Simon|last=Shuster|date=April 29, 2021|access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref>

[[United States intelligence community]] analysis released in March 2021 found that Ukrainian politician [[Andrii Derkach]] was among proxies of Russian intelligence who promoted and [[Information laundering|laundered]] misleading or unsubstantiated narratives about Biden "to US media organizations, US officials, and prominent US individuals, including some close to former President Trump and his administration".<ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 23, 2023 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/16/politics/us-election-intel-report/index.html|title=US intelligence report says Russia used Trump allies to influence 2020 election with goal of 'denigrating' Biden |first1=Zachary |last1=Cohen |first2=Marshall |last2=Cohen |first3=Katelyn |last3=Polantz |date=March 16, 2021 |website=[[CNN]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/03/16/us-intel-report-russia-iran-tried-sway-2020-presidential-election/4720051001/ |title=Russia, Iran aimed to sway 2020 election through covert campaigns, US intelligence reports |first=Deirdre |last=Shesgreen |website=[[USA Today]] |date=March 16, 2021 |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}</ref> Giuliani met with Derkach in December 2019.<ref name="Stern-2019"/>

In April 2021, ''Forensic News'' reported that the SDNY investigation into Giuliani had expanded to include a criminal probe of Derkach and [[Andrii Artemenko]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stedman |first1=Scott |last2=Bernardini |first2=Matt |date=April 30, 2021 |title=Giuliani Probe Expands, Ukrainian Ally Under Criminal Investigation|url=https://forensicnews.net/giuliani-probe-expands-ukrainian-ally-artemenko-under-criminal-investigation/ |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=Forensic News |language=en}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' confirmed weeks later that Derkach was the subject of a criminal investigation into foreign interference in the 2020 United States elections.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rashbaum |first1=William K. |last2=Protess |first2=Ben |last3=Vogel |first3=Kenneth P. |last4=Hong |first4=Nicole |date=May 27, 2021 |title=Prosecutors Investigating Whether Ukrainians Meddled in 2020 Election |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/27/nyregion/trump-ukraine-rudy-giuliani-2020-presidential-election.html |access-date=August 30, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> "Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have been investigating whether several Ukrainian officials helped orchestrate a wide-ranging plan to meddle in the 2020 presidential campaign, including using Rudolph W. Giuliani to spread their misleading claims about President Biden and tilt the election in Donald J. Trump's favor", the ''Times'' reported.

On June 8, 2021, [[CNN]] uncovered exclusive audio of a 2019 phone call from Giuliani to Ukraine, stating that "Rudy Giuliani relentlessly pressured and coaxed the Ukrainian government in 2019 to investigate [[Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory|baseless conspiracies]] about then-candidate [[Joe Biden]]."<ref>{{cite news |first1=Matthew |last1=Chance |first2=Marshall |last2=Cohen |title=Exclusive: New audio of 2019 phone call reveals how Giuliani pressured Ukraine to investigate baseless Biden conspiracies |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/07/politics/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-call-investigate-biden/index.html |access-date=June 8, 2021 |website=[[CNN]] |date=June 7, 2021 }}</ref>

''The New York Times'' reported in August 2022 that SDNY was unlikely to indict Giuliani for his activities in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite news |title=Giuliani Is Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges in Lobbying Inquiry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/us/giuliani-charges-lobbying-inquiry-trump.html |work=The New York Times |date=August 3, 2022 |first1=William K. |last1=Rashbaum |first2=Ben |last2=Protess |access-date=May 23, 2023 }}</ref> Prosecutors confirmed this in a court filing three months later.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Neumeister |first1=Larry |last2=Hayes |first2=Tom |last3=Tucker |first3=Eric |date=November 14, 2022 |title=Giuliani unlikely to face charges from Ukraine probe that led to raids: prosecutors |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9278134/giuliani-raid-ukraine-no-charges/ |work=[[Global News]] |access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 23, 2023 |last=Katersky |first=Aaron |date=November 14, 2022 |title=Federal prosecutors decline to file charges against Rudy Giuliani following FBI raid |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/federal-prosecutors-decline-file-charges-rudy-giuliani-fbi/story?id=93289433 |work=ABC News }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=November 14, 2022 |title=Rudy Giuliani will not face criminal charges for foreign contacts ahead of 2020 election, prosecutors say |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-no-criminal-charges-expected-from-raid-ukraine-contacts/ |work=CBS News |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>

=== 2020 election lawsuits===
{{main|Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election}}
[[File:Jenna Ellis and Rudy Giuliani.png|thumb|right|Giuliani with [[Jenna Ellis]] in November 2020]]
In November 2020, Trump placed Giuliani in charge of lawsuits related to alleged voter irregularities in the [[2020 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/trump-puts-personal-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-in-charge-of-all-election-lawsuits/ar-BB1b0rET|title=Trump puts personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in charge of all election lawsuits |work=The Independent|date=November 14, 2020|first=Graeme|last=Massie|access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref> On November 7, Giuliani [[Rudy Giuliani's Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference|gave a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping]] in Philadelphia to discuss challenging the vote count in Pennsylvania, during which media networks called the presidential election for Biden.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burns |first=Katelyn |date=November 8, 2020 |title=The Trump legal team's failed Four Seasons press conference, explained |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/11/8/21555022/four-seasons-landscaping-trump-giuliani-philadelphia-press-conference |url-status=live |access-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115022307/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/11/8/21555022/four-seasons-landscaping-trump-giuliani-philadelphia-press-conference |archive-date=November 15, 2020}}</ref>  Trump designated Giuliani to lead a legal team to challenge the election results, telling Giuliani to "go wild" and "do anything you want" in his efforts to overturn them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dorman |first=John L. |date=September 28, 2022 |title=Trump told Rudy Giuliani to 'go wild' and 'do anything you want' in seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election: book |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-giuliani-go-wild-2020-presidential-election-legal-fight-book-2022-9 |work=Business Insider |access-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref> This team{{snd}}a self-described "elite strike force" that included [[Sidney Powell]], [[Joseph diGenova]], [[Victoria Toensing]], and Trump campaign attorney [[Jenna Ellis]]{{spaces}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica |date=November 16, 2020|title=Trump puts Giuliani in charge of post-election legal fight after series of losses |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/14/politics/rudy-giuliani-trump-lawsuits-2020-election/index.html |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |date=November 22, 2020 |title=Trump campaign cuts Sidney Powell from president's legal team |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/22/trump-campaign-sidney-powell-legal-439357|access-date=November 22, 2020 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref>{{snd}}appeared at a November 19 press conference in which they made numerous false and unsubstantiated assertions revolving around an international Communist conspiracy, rigged voting machines, and polling place fraud.<ref name="The Guardian-2020" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Subramaniam |first1=Tara |last2=Lybrand |first2=Holmes |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Fact checking Giuliani and the Trump legal team's wild, fact-free press conference|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/19/politics/giuliani-trump-legal-team-press-briefing-fact-check/index.html |access-date=November 20, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Swanson |first=Ali |date=November 20, 2020 |title=AP Fact Check: Trump legal team's batch of false vote claims |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3 |access-date=November 20, 2020 |work=[[Associated Press]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Analysis &#124; Fact-checking the craziest news conference of the Trump presidency |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/19/fact-checking-craziest-news-conference-trump-presidency/ |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Farhi |first1=Paul |last2=Izadi |first2=Elahe |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Rudy Giuliani floated 'dangerous' and incendiary false claims of election conspiracy – and Fox News broadcast it live |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/rudy-giuliani-floated-dangerous-and-incendiary-false-claims-of-election-conspiracy--and-fox-news-broadcast-it-live/2020/11/19/0313eab6-2a9f-11eb-8fa2-06e7cbb145c0_story.html |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref>

Giuliani repeatedly publicly denounced the use of [[provisional ballot]]s (in which the poll worker does not see the voter's name on the rolls, so the voter swears an affidavit oath that they are registered to vote), arguing that the practice enables fraud, although Giuliani himself had cast this type of ballot on October 31, 2020, in Manhattan.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Steck|first1=Em|last2=Kaczynski|first2=Andrew|date=January 18, 2021|title=Rudy Giuliani voted with an affidavit ballot, which he bashed in failed effort to overturn election|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/politics/rudy-giuliani-affidavit-ballot-vote-kfile/index.html|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=CNN}}</ref>

By January 8, 2021, Trump and his team had lost 63 lawsuits.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 8, 2021|title=PolitiFact – Joe Biden is right that more than 60 of Trump's election lawsuits lacked merit|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jan/08/joe-biden/joe-biden-right-more-60-trumps-election-lawsuits-l/ |first1=Amy |last1=Sherman |first2=Miriam |last2=Valverde |access-date=September 24, 2021|website=[[PolitiFact]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Giuliani's associate Maria Ryan sent a letter to White House chief of staff [[Mark Meadows]] requesting that Giuliani be paid $2.5&nbsp;million and receive a "general [[pardon]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=August 21, 2022 |title=Associate Sought General Pardon For Rudy Giuliani From Trump — And Medal: Book |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-associate-general-pardon-medal-trump-andrew-kirtzman-book_n_6301a6cce4b0e323a256327f |access-date=August 22, 2022 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> A month later, when Trump was out of office, Giuliani was no longer representing him in any pending cases, according to a Trump adviser.<ref name="Acosta-2021" /> While Trump continued to fundraise, purportedly for his election-related legal fights, as of the end of July 2021 he had not given any of this money to Giuliani.<ref>{{cite web |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=August 2, 2021 |title=Rudy Giuliani Is Reportedly Almost Broke And Trump's Shutting Him Out |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-trump-legal-fees-stiffed-dominion-lawsuit_n_61074e92e4b0d3b5897efc5c |access-date=August 2, 2021 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> In October 2021, in another context, Trump remarked: "I do pay my lawyers when they do a good job."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Polantz |first1=Katelyn |date=October 13, 2021 |title=Top conservative lawyers steer clear of Trump's latest legal fight |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/13/politics/conservative-lawyers-steer-clear-of-trump/index.html |access-date=October 13, 2021 |website=CNN}}</ref>

==== Pennsylvania lawsuit ====
One early lawsuit sought to invalidate up to 700,000 mail-in ballots and stop Pennsylvania from certifying its election results.<ref name="Mangan-2020" /> Giuliani said he had signed affidavits attesting to voter fraud and election official misconduct in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cant |first=Ash |title=Donald Trump's lawyer makes bombshell claim over 'evidence' of voter fraud |date=November 11, 2020 |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/donald-trumps-lawyer-makes-bombshell-claim-over-evidence-of-voter-fraud-112306960.html |work=Yahoo! News Australia |access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref> Despite not having argued a case in any courtroom for over three decades,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-returns-courtroom-trump-b81328c5a74ab348d8b7e21f93eed3f9 |title=A rusty Giuliani returns to the courtroom on Trump's behalf|date=November 18, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]] |first1=Marc |last1=Levy |first2=Mark |last2=Scolford |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> Giuliani applied for special permission to represent the Trump presidential campaign in the federal court of Pennsylvania. In doing so, Giuliani misrepresented his status with the District of Columbia Bar in his application by stating that he was a member of the [[Bar (law)|bar]] in good standing, when in fact the District of Columbia had suspended him for nonpayment of fees.<ref name="Mangan-2020">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/17/trump-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-asks-to-join-pennsylvania-vote-case.html|title='Disgraceful!' – Lawyer blasts Trump attorney Giuliani for seeking to toss Pa. votes to reverse Biden win|last1=Mangan|first1=Dan|last2=Breuninger|first2=Kevin|date=November 17, 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> In his first day in court on the case, which was November 17, 2020, Giuliani struggled with rudimentary legal processes and was accused by lawyers for the Pennsylvania Secretary of State of making legal arguments that were "disgraceful in an American courtroom".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/pennsylvania-defense-lawyers-shredded-rudy-giuliani-trump-election-lawsuit-2020-11|title=Pennsylvania lawyers shredded Rudy Giuliani's arguments in Trump's biggest election lawsuit, calling them 'disgraceful' and 'really inventive'|first1=Jacob|last1=Shamsian|first2=Sonam|last2=Sheth|date=November 17, 2020|work=Business Insider|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> Judge [[Matthew Brann]] questioned how Giuliani could justify "asking this court to invalidate some 6.8&nbsp;million votes thereby disenfranchising every single voter in the commonwealth."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/trump-pennsylvania-lawsuit-election-results-rudy-giuliani-hearing-case-williamsport-20201117.html|title=Rudy Giuliani and Trump's last-stand push to overturn Pa.'s election results get a frosty reception in court|first=Jeremy|last=Roebuck|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref>

His federal lawsuit against Pennsylvania was dismissed [[Prejudice (legal term)|with prejudice]] on November 21, 2020, with the judge citing "strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations" which were "unsupported by evidence". Giuliani and Jenna Ellis reacted by stating that the ruling "helps" the Trump campaign "get expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court". They also pointed out that the judge, [[Matthew W. Brann]], was "Obama-appointed", though Brann is also a Republican and a former member of the right-leaning [[Federalist Society]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Roebuck|first=Jeremy|date=November 21, 2020|title='Not how the Constitution works': Federal judge tosses Trump suit seeking to disrupt Pa. election results|url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania-election-lawsuit-trump-dismissed-matthew-brann-certification-vote-results-20201121.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122042037/https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania-election-lawsuit-trump-dismissed-matthew-brann-certification-vote-results-20201121.html|archive-date=November 22, 2020|access-date=December 10, 2020|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Swaine|first=Jon|title=In scathing opinion, federal judge dismisses Trump campaign lawsuit in Pennsylvania |date=November 21, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-judge-dismisses-trump-campaign-lawsuit-in-pa/2020/11/21/cc097fbe-2c50-11eb-9b14-ad872157ebc9_story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122031105/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-judge-dismisses-trump-campaign-lawsuit-in-pa/2020/11/21/cc097fbe-2c50-11eb-9b14-ad872157ebc9_story.html|archive-date=November 22, 2020|access-date=December 10, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

The Trump campaign appealed the lawsuit to the [[Third Circuit Court of Appeals]], where a three-judge panel on November 27 rejected the Trump campaign's attempt to undo Pennsylvania's vote certification, because the Trump campaign's "claims have no merit".<ref name="Watson-2020">{{cite news|last1=Watson|first1=Kathryn|date=November 28, 2020|title=Trump loses appeal in Pennsylvania: 'Calling an election unfair does not make it so'|work=[[CBS News]]|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pennsylvania-appeal-loss-2020-election/|url-status=live|access-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128161317/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pennsylvania-appeal-loss-2020-election/|archive-date=November 28, 2020}}</ref> The panel also ruled that the District Court was correct in preventing the Trump campaign from conducting a second amendment of its complaint.<ref name="Watson-2020" /> An amendment would be pointless, ruled the judges, because the Trump campaign was not bringing facts before the court, and not even alleging fraud. Judge [[Stephanos Bibas]] highlighted that Giuliani himself told the district court that the Trump campaign "doesn't plead fraud", and that this "is not a fraud case".<ref>{{cite news|date=November 28, 2020|title=U.S. appeals court rejects Trump appeal over Pennsylvania race |first=Maryclaire |last=Dale |work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-pennsylvania-elections-philadelphia-d9c96c4593ec278f3b1d4bc564068df6 |access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref> The panel concluded that neither "specific allegations" nor "proof" was provided in this case, and that the Trump campaign "cannot win this lawsuit".<ref name="Watson-2020" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Scannell|first=Kara|date=November 27, 2020|title=Federal appeals court slams Trump campaign efforts to turn tide in Pennsylvania ruling, saying 'claims have no merit'|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://lite.cnn.com/en/article/h_7b19716ee9d6faa1fb9171e7e318c9bf|url-status=live|access-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127224950/http://lite.cnn.com/en/article/h_7b19716ee9d6faa1fb9171e7e318c9bf|archive-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref>

Giuliani and Ellis reacted to the appeals court ruling by condemning the "activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania".<ref name="Watson-2020" /> Of the three Appeal Court judges, Stephanos Bibas, who delivered the opinion, was appointed by Trump himself, while judges [[D. Brooks Smith]] and [[Michael Chagares]] were appointed by Republican president [[George W. Bush]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cheney|first1=Kyle|last2=Gerstein|first2=Josh|date=November 27, 2020|title='Voters, not lawyers, choose the president': Appeals court shoots down Trump suit in Pennsylvania|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/27/appeals-court-trump-campaign-pennsylvania-440813|url-status=live|access-date=December 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128233811/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/27/appeals-court-trump-campaign-pennsylvania-440813|archive-date=November 28, 2020}}</ref>

==== Dominion and Smartmatic lawsuits ====
{{see also|Dominion v. Fox News Network}}
As part of Giuliani's allegations that voting machines had been rigged, he made several false assertions about two rival companies, [[Dominion Voting Systems]] and [[Smartmatic]]. These false claims included that Smartmatic owned Dominion; that Dominion voting machines used Smartmatic software; that Dominion voting machines sent vote data to Smartmatic at foreign locations; that Dominion was founded by the former socialist Venezuelan leader [[Hugo Chávez]]; and that Dominion is a "radical-left" company with connections to [[Antifa (United States)|antifa]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|date=November 16, 2020|title=Giuliani's fantasy parade of false voter-fraud claims|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/16/giulianis-fantasy-parade-false-voter-fraud-claims/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116145243/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/16/giulianis-fantasy-parade-false-voter-fraud-claims/|archive-date=November 16, 2020|access-date=November 16, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Dan |last=MacGuill |date=November 20, 2020 |title=Did a Dominion Voting Systems Employee Brag About Rigging the Election Against Trump?|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/eric-coomer-dominion-trump/|access-date=November 21, 2020|website=[[Snopes]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

Both companies sued Giuliani and Fox News. Dominion filed a defamation lawsuit against Giuliani in January 2021,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Polantz |first1=Katelyn |date=January 25, 2021 |title=Dominion sues Giuliani for $1.3 billion over 'Big Lie'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/dominion-lawsuit-giuliani/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/11/politics/defamation-lawsuits-sidney-powell-rudy-giuliani-mike-lindell/index.html |access-date=December 20, 2023 |title=Judge allows defamation lawsuits against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and MyPillow CEO to go forward |first1=Katelyn |last1=Polantz |website=CNN |date=August 11, 2021}}</ref> and separately sued Fox News for $1.6 billion.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Folkenflik |first1=David |last2=Romo |first2=Vanessa |date=May 18, 2021 |title=Fox News Moves To Have Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuit Dismissed |language=en |work=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/998099249/fox-news-moves-to-have-dominion-voting-systems-lawsuit-dismissed |access-date=September 24, 2021}}</ref> Fox News settled the case, ''[[Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network]]'', for $787.5&nbsp;million;<ref>{{cite news |first1=Helen |last1=Coster |first2=Jack |last2=Queen |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/dominions-defamation-case-against-fox-poised-trial-after-delay-2023-04-18/ |title=Fox settles Dominion lawsuit for $787.5 million over US election lies |work=[[Reuters]] |date=April 19, 2023 |access-date=December 20, 2023 }}</ref> the company's lawsuits against Giuliani and [[Sidney Powell]] for their election-related lies are still active {{As of|2023|August|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N39S1UF/ |title=Dominion lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell still active |work=Reuters Fact Check |access-date=December 20, 2023 |date=August 11, 2023 }}</ref>

On February 4, 2021, Smartmatic sued Giuliani, Fox News and some of its hosts, and Powell, accusing them of engaging in a "disinformation campaign" against the company; the company sought $2.7{{spaces}}billion in damages.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Darcy |first1=Oliver |date=February 4, 2021 |title=Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over 'disinformation campaign' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/04/media/smartmatic-fox-news-giuliani-powell-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=February 5, 2021|website=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Shalvey|first=Kevin|date=June 19, 2021|title=Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Fox News have August date confirmed for court bid to dismiss $2.7 billion Smartmatic lawsuit|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-sidney-powell-fox-news-smartmatic-lawsuit-dismissal-ny-2021-6|access-date=August 2, 2021|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref> A New York State Supreme Court judge, in March 2022, denied the defendants' motion to dismiss, ruling that the Smartmatic's defamation suit against Fox News and Giuliani could proceed; however, the court dismissed two of the sixteen counts against Giuliani.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stempel |first1=Jonathan |title=Smartmatic can pursue election-rigging claims against Fox News, Giuliani |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/smartmatic-can-pursue-election-rigging-claims-against-fox-news-giuliani-2022-03-08/ |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=December 20, 2023 |date=March 8, 2022}}</ref> In February 2023, the [[New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division|Appellate Division]] reinstated the two counts.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jacob |last=Shamsian |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-more-counts-smartmatic-defamation-lawsuit-2023-2 |title=Rudy Giuliani gets hit with 2 more counts in Smartmatic's defamation lawsuit |work=Business Insider |date=February 14, 2023 |access-date=December 20, 2023 }}</ref>

On September 10, 2021, Fox News told Giuliani that neither he nor his son Andrew would be allowed on their network for nearly three months.<ref>{{cite web |last=Palmeri |first=Tara |date=September 24, 2021 |title=POLITICO Playbook: Scoop: Fox to Rudy: You're banned |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/09/24/scoop-fox-to-rudy-youre-banned-494458 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Judgment for defaming Georgia election workers ====
In December 2021, two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter [[Wandrea' ArShaye Moss]], sued Giuliani in [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|DC]] for defamation,<ref>{{cite news |last=Thanawala |first=Sudhin |date=December 23, 2021 |title=Georgia Election Workers Sue Rudy Giuliani, OAN Over Election Fraud Claims |language=en |website=HuffPost |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/georgia-election-workers-oan-rudy-giuliani_n_61c50aaee4b04b42ab69e90e |access-date=December 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jeong |first=Andrew |date=December 24, 2021 |title=Rudy Giuliani and One America News sued by Georgia poll workers falsely accused of electoral fraud |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/12/24/trump-giuliani-oann-election-fraud/ |access-date=December 26, 2021 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> after Giuliani falsely accused them of manipulating vote tallies.<ref name="Sullivan-2023">{{cite news |first=Eileen |last=Sullivan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-defamation-trial-damages.html |title=Jury Orders Giuliani to Pay $148 Million to Election Workers He Defamed |access-date=December 20, 2023 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 15, 2023}}</ref> He has accused them of "passing around [[USB flash drive|USB ports]] as if they were vials of heroin or cocaine" and engaging in "surreptitious illegal activity," citing video footage that, according to Moss, actually showed the women with "a ginger [[Mint (candy)|mint]]".<ref>{{cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Giuliani told Arizona official 'We just don't have the evidence' of voter fraud |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/21/giuliani-no-evidence-voter-fraud-arizona-jan-6-commitee |access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> [[Public hearings of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack|Moss testified]] before the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] that after Giuliani's remarks she and her family were subjected to a barrage of racist threats, including "Be glad it's 2020 and not 1920," in reference to [[lynching in the United States]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=June 21, 2022 |title='There's nowhere I feel safe': Georgia elections workers describe how Trump upended their lives |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/21/january-6-hearings-georgia-elections-workers-mother-daughter-testify |access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref>

In July 2023, Giuliani was ordered to pay attorneys' fees to the election workers after being sanctioned for failing to turn over evidence in the case.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Durkee |first=Alison |date=July 6, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani Forced To Pay $89K In Attorneys Fees For 2020 Defamation Case |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/07/06/rudy-giuliani-forced-to-pay-89k-in-attorneys-fees-for-2020-defamation-case/ |access-date=July 8, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> Later that month, Giuliani admitted his statements had been "defamatory per se" yet denied they had caused "any damages".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Wagner |first1=John |last2=Wang |first2=Amy B. |date=July 26, 2023 |title=Giuliani not contesting making false statements about Georgia election workers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/26/rudy-giuliani-false-statements-georgia/ |access-date=July 26, 2023}}</ref> On August 4, the judge asked him to explain why he was still fighting the lawsuit, given his admission.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=August 5, 2023 |title=Judge questions Giuliani over not forfeiting lawsuit after conceding false 2020 election statements |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/05/politics/giuliani-lawsuit-2020-election/index.html |access-date=August 8, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}}</ref> Due to his failure to produce documents, U.S. District Judge [[Beryl Howell]] issued an order on August 30 ruling that he forfeited his case by [[Civil discovery under United States federal law|failing to comply with his discovery obligations]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Polantz |first1=Katelyn |date=August 30, 2023 |title=Giuliani loses defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/30/politics/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers/index.html |access-date=December 20, 2023 }}</ref> Meanwhile, the court increased what he owed for the plaintiffs' legal fees,<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani Loses Georgia Poll Workers' Defamation Suit By Default, Judge Rules |first=Nina |last=Golgowski |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/giuliani-loses-election-defamation-suit-default_n_64ef6233e4b0ca54cc6bd5f3 |access-date=August 31, 2023 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> and he did not immediately pay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=September 22, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani fails to pay more than $132,000 in sanctions in defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/politics/giuliani-defamation-lawsuit-sanctions/index.html |access-date=September 22, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}}</ref> The plaintiffs subsequently requested money to cover additional attorneys' fees that arose from discovery disputes during the case.<ref name="Cohen-2023">{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Marshall |date=September 8, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani files new legal challenge to Georgia election interference case |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/08/politics/giuliani-georgia-election-interference-case-challenge/index.html |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> The judge again increased what Giuliani owed; the total was over $230,000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=September 22, 2023 |title=Giuliani now owes over $230,000 after defaming two Georgia election workers |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/politics/giuliani-defamation-lawsuit-sanctions/index.html |access-date=September 22, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

On October 13, the judge said that due to Giuliani's "continued and flagrant disregard of this Court's August 30 order that he produce financial-related documents concerning his personal and his businesses' past and present assets", she would tell the jurors that he intentionally hid financial documents in defiance of court orders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gregorian |first=Dareh |date=October 14, 2023 |title=Judge punishes Rudy Giuliani for flagrant disregard of court orders |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/judge-punishes-rudy-giuliani-flagrant-disregard-court-orders-rcna120412 |access-date=October 16, 2023 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> On December 5, 2023, Giuliani did not appear at a federal court pretrial hearing. Freeman and Moss attended. Giuliani's lawyer, Joseph Sibley IV, told the judge he had not understood that Giuliani's presence was required and that it was "my mistake";<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |date=December 5, 2023 |title=Giuliani's no-show prevents courtroom confrontation with Georgia election workers |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/05/rudy-giuliani-georgia-defamation-hearing-00130156 |access-date=December 6, 2023 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en}}</ref> the judge criticized Giuliani's failure to appear.<ref>{{cite web|first=Katelyn |last=Polantz|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/politics/rudy-giuliani-hearing/index.html |title=Judge chastises Rudy Giuliani for failing to appear at hearing ahead of defamation damages trial |access-date=December 20, 2023 |website=CNN |date=December 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |access-date=December 20, 2023 |url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1773209/dc-judge-slams-giuliani-no-show-in-pretrial-hearing |first=Ali |last=Sullivan |title=DC Judge Slams Giuliani No-Show In Pretrial Hearing |website=Law360 |date=December 5, 2023}}</ref>

The trial began on December 11. During the trial on the amount of damages, the plaintiffs' testified that Giuliani's false statements, beginning with one of his tweets, prompted a barrage of threatening phone calls and messages against them, including many that were violent, vulgar, or racist.<ref name="Sullivan-2023"/> They also testified that Giuliani's lies caused others to show up at Freeman's home, to attempt to conduct a "[[citizen's arrest]]" of Moss at her grandmother's home, and to barrage Moss' teenage son with cell phone messages.<ref name="Sullivan-2023"/> During the trial, Giuliani publicly repeated his false claim that Freeman and Moss "were engaged in changing votes"<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Iyer |first1=Kaanita |last2=Polantz |first2=Katelyn |last3=Lybrand |first3=Holmes |last4=Cole |first4=Devan |date=December 11, 2023 |title=Georgia election workers ask judge to lecture Rudy Giuliani after he repeats election claims judge ruled were defamatory |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/politics/rudy-giuliani-defamation-trial/index.html |access-date=December 13, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> and claimed that "When I testify, the whole story will be definitively clear that what I said was true."<ref name="Grenoble-2023">{{Cite web |last=Grenoble |first=Ryan |date=December 14, 2023 |title=Giuliani Won't Testify, Despite Pledge To 'Definitively Clear' His Name By Doing So |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-defamation-trial-wont-testify_n_657b1ca6e4b020f3b6741772 |access-date=December 14, 2023 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> However, Giuliani ultimately declined to testify,<ref name="Sullivan-2023"/><ref name="Grenoble-2023"/> and his defense team called no witnesses.<ref name="Grenoble-2023"/> Giuliani's attorney pointed to another defamation lawsuit Freeman and Moss had filed against ''[[The Gateway Pundit]]'', saying the website had likely instigated the harassment against them.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leingang |first=Rachel |date=December 15, 2023 |title=Multimillion-dollar ruling against Giuliani shows cost of spreading election lies |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/15/rudy-giuliani-damages-cost-analysis-takeaways |access-date=December 16, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

On December 15, 2023, the federal jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148&nbsp;million to Freeman and Moss, including $75&nbsp;million in [[punitive damages]].<ref name="Sullivan-2023"/><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Legare |first1=Robert |last2=Ali |first2=Musa |date=December 15, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani must pay $148 million to 2 Georgia election workers he defamed, jury decides |work=[[CBS News]] |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-verdict-defamation-trial-georgia-election-workers/ |access-date=December 15, 2023}}</ref> After the verdict, Giuliani said he regretted nothing and said he would appeal.<ref name="Sullivan-2023"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Sam |title=Rudy Giuliani ordered to pay $148.1m in damages for lies about election workers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/15/rudy-giuliani-pay-damages-election-workers-defamation-trial |access-date=December 15, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 15, 2023}}</ref> One of his lawyers suggested he would file for bankruptcy.<ref name="Sullivan-2023"/> On December 20, concerned that Giuliani would hide his assets given the "ample record in this case of Giuliani’s efforts to conceal or hide his assets," Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered swift payment of the damages.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=2023-12-20 |title=Judge Orders Giuliani to Pay $148 Million Damage Award Immediately |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url-status=live |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/us/politics/judge-giuliani-pay-damages.html |access-date=2023-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221044157/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/us/politics/judge-giuliani-pay-damages.html |archive-date=2023-12-21 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On December 21, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy.<ref name="Reilly-2023">{{Cite web |last=Reilly |first=Mollie |date=2023-12-21 |title=Rudy Giuliani Files For Bankruptcy |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy_n_65847b8de4b04da984263149 |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref>

On December 18, Freeman and Moss sued Giuliani again, seeking an injunction to permanently prohibit him from defaming them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Former Georgia election workers sue Rudy Giuliani again, asking judge to permanently stop him from lying about them |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/18/politics/georgia-election-workers-giuliani/index.html |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mangan |first=Dan |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani sued again by Georgia election workers seeking to bar more defamation |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/18/rudy-giuliani-sued-by-election-workers-over-defamation.html |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> They later agreed to drop this lawsuit in exchange for Giuliani's promise never again to state, imply, or assist others' remarks that they "engaged in wrongdoing in connection with the 2020 presidential election".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-05-21 |title=Giuliani agrees to stop spreading 2020 vote-tampering lies about Georgia election workers |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/21/politics/giuliani-freeman-moss-agreement/index.html |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

In January 2024, Freeman and Moss accused Giuliani of taking unfair advantage of the bankruptcy system in a court filing, with their attorneys calling Giuliani's approach "a flawed, impermissible litigation tactic from an actor with a history of engaging the judicial system in bad faith."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-01-18 |title=Georgia election workers accuse Rudy Giuliani of taking advantage of bankruptcy system |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/18/politics/georgia-election-workers-rudy-giuliani/index.html |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2024-01-18 |title=Rudy Giuliani Accused of Using Bankruptcy Filing to Stiff the Election Workers He Owes $148 Million |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/rudy-giuliani-accused-of-using-bankruptcy-filing-to-stiff-the-election-workers-he-owes-148-million |access-date=2024-01-19 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref> In February, Giuliani testified about his finances.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Woodward |first=Alex |date=2024-02-08 |title=Rudy Giuliani lays his finances bare at bizarre bankruptcy hearing |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy-hearing-donald-trump-b2492575.html |access-date=2024-05-22 |work=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> In March, creditors filed a motion to force him to sell his Florida condo to pay the judgment.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Picciotto |first1=Rebecca |title=Creditors demand Rudy Giuliani sell his $3.5 million Florida condo to pay debts |date=March 16, 2024 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/16/rudy-giuliani-should-sell-3point5-million-florida-condo-creditors-claim.html |publisher=[[CNBC]] |access-date=March 19, 2024}}</ref> In April, he lost his bid to dismiss the judgment against him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rudy-giuliani-loses-bid-dismiss-148-million-defamation/story?id=109264527|title=Rudy Giuliani loses bid to dismiss $148 million defamation judgment in Georgia election workers case|date=April 16, 2024|access-date=April 21, 2024|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|last=Osborne|first=Mark}}</ref> A bankruptcy court hearing was set for July 10 to address his creditors' request to put his funds under the control of an independent trustee so they could begin to collect what they were owed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-07-09 |title=Angry creditors want Giuliani's assets taken out of his control |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/09/politics/angry-creditors-giuliani-assets/index.html |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> On July 12, the judge, citing Giuliani's lack of transparency over the previous six months of litigation, said he was no longer entitled to bankruptcy protection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-07-12 |title=Judge dismisses Giuliani's bankruptcy case, allowing creditors to try to seize his assets |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/12/politics/judge-dismisses-giuliani-bankruptcy-case/index.html |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> On July 31, Giuliani and his creditors revised their agreement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2024 |title=In re Rudolph W. Giuliani, No. 23-12055 (SHL) |url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysb.319064/gov.uscourts.nysb.319064.308.0.pdf |access-date=August 1, 2024 |website=Court Listener}}</ref>

On October 22, a federal judge in Manhattan ordered Giuliani to turn over his $6 million Manhattan penthouse apartment and other valuable possessions to Freeman and Moss.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-10-22 |title=Rudy Giuliani must give control of luxury items and Manhattan apartment to Georgia election workers he defamed, judge rules |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/22/politics/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy-georgia-election-workers/index.html |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Eileen |date=October 23, 2024 |title=Giuliani Ordered to Forfeit Millions in Assets to Workers He Defamed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/us/politics/giuliani-defamation-forfeit-assets.html |work=The New York Times |page=A22 |language=en-US |volume=174 |issue=60316 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Giuliani may also need to surrender his $3.5 million primary residence in Palm Beach, Florida.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-10-28 |title=Judge to determine whether Rudy Giuliani must turn over his $3.5 million Florida condo to the election workers he defamed |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/28/politics/rudy-giuliani-florida-condo-defamation-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> On October 29, Giuliani told the court that his valuables were “being held for wherever Plaintiffs request.” On October 31, Freeman and Moss visited Giuliani’s apartment so they could see the property inside, as they needed to assess how they would move and store it. They discovered that, four weeks earlier, the apartment had been emptied of "the vast majority (if not all) of the valuable receivership property that was known to be stored there," a fact that, as they told the court, "neither Defendant nor Defendant’s counsel had bothered to mention." Giuliani's lawyers told them that some unspecified property was in a storage facility on [[Long Island]] and that his vintage Mercedes (formerly owned by [[Lauren Bacall]]) was somewhere in Florida. Additionally, Giuliani’s lawyers provided bank statements showing that a large amount of money had been transferred out of his bank account in July and August and that less than $4,000 remained in the account.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nathan |first=Aaron |date=November 4, 2024 |title=Re: Freeman et al. v. Giuliani, No. 24-mc-353 (LJL) |url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.626017/gov.uscourts.nysd.626017.81.0.pdf |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>

At an in-person hearing on November 7, Giuliani's lawyer proposed that the Mercedes might be worth under $4,000, meaning that Giuliani would be allowed to keep it. Giuliani claimed he had no idea of the whereabouts of his other valuables. The judge gave Giuliani until November 15 to turn over his property to the plaintiffs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kates |first=Graham |date=2024-11-07 |title=Judge scolds Giuliani for not turning over assets to two women, including car he's driving |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy-fight-valuables/ |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> Two days before that deadline, lawyers Kenneth Caruso and David Labowsky told the judge they did not want to represent Giuliani anymore,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-14 |title=Rudy Giuliani's Lawyers Are Bailing On Him |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giulianis-lawyers-tell-judge-they-want-to-quit-on-him_n_6734e081e4b0958bad3dd876 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> and Freeman and Moss learned that the Long Island storage unit contained 20 pallets of moving boxes and furniture. Lawyer Joseph Cammarata took on Giuliani's case and told the court on November 15 that he had turned over the Mercedes (but not the title to it), 18 watches, a diamond ring, and had begun a process to turn over $30,000 in cash.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2024-11-15 |title=Rudy Giuliani has turned over his 1980 Mercedes-Benz convertible, luxury watch collection and a diamond ring to election workers he defamed |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/15/politics/rudy-giuliani-debt-collection-election-worker-defamation/index.html |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> A week later, the cash had still not arrived, and Freeman and Moss still did not have the keys to his apartment.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Buchman |first=Brandi |date=2024-11-23 |title=Things Just Got Even Weirder In The Rudy Giuliani Court Case |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-election-workers-storage-unit_n_6740e18ce4b078cce4af30c9 |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref>

On November 18, Freeman and Moss began to inventory the Long Island storage unit, and Giuliani’s lawyer Joseph Cammarata held a press conference outside the offices of Freeman and Moss's lawyers in New York City. On November 22, Freeman and Moss told U.S. District Judge [[Lewis Liman]] there had been attempts to "intimidate or interfere" with their access to the storage unit and that it was taking the form of a social media campaign against them.<ref name=":1" />

Giuliani's appeal was docketed on November 22.<ref name=":1" /> 

At a court hearing on November 26, plaintiffs said that Giuliani had yet to turn over nine additional watches. Giuliani said he had been unable to obtain a copy of the title to the Mercedes.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Reiss |first1=Adam |last2=Gregorian |first2=Dareh |date=2024-11-26 |title=Angry Rudy Giuliani argues with judge overseeing defamation payout: 'I can't pay my bills' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/angry-rudy-giuliani-argues-judge-overseeing-defamation-payout-cant-pay-rcna181723 |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

Giuliani was ruled in contempt by Liman at a hearing on January 3, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldin |first=Melissa |date=2024-12-29 |title=Rudy Giuliani faces contempt hearing as lawyers for election workers pursue $148M judgment |url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/jan/03/rudy-giuliani-faces-contempt-hearing-as-lawyers-for-election-workers-pursue-148m-judgment/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=The Columbian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchman |first=Brandi |date=2025-01-06 |title=Rudy Giuliani Gets Bad News Just Ahead of His Trial |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-held-in-contempt-by-judge_n_67781109e4b0f0fdb7b18059 |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> On January 10, Howell also found him in contempt for refusing to turn over financial records.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Lydia |date=2025-01-10 |title=Rudy Giuliani Found In Contempt Of Court For Second Time This Week |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-contempt-of-court_n_67817da7e4b075a395308849 |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> She had delayed his civil contempt hearing by one month<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchman |first=Brandi |date=2024-11-21 |title=Judge Schedules Hearing For Rudy Giuliani After Workers Say He Won't Stop Smearing Them |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/judge-sets-civil-contempt-hearing-for-rudy-giuliani-after-defamed-workers-say-he-cant-stop-smearing-them_n_673f8198e4b090a704c8d520 |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> given his difficulties finding legal representation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abusaid |first=Shaddi |date=2025-01-03 |title=Rudy Giuliani can't hire a lawyer, and it's the judge's fault, he says |url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/dec/12/rudy-giuliani-cant-hire-a-lawyer-and-its-the-judges-fault-he-says/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=The Columbian |language=en-US}}</ref>

On January 16, the day of a scheduled trial before Liman to enforce payment, the parties settled. Giuliani kept his homes in exchange for compensating Freeman and Moss with an undisclosed amount of money and agreeing to refrain from defaming them again.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Neumeister |first1=Larry |last2=Sisak |first2=Michael |date=2025-01-16 |title=Rudy Giuliani Settles With Former Georgia Election Workers |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-election-workers_n_67897113e4b0437012f40751 |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref>

===Attack on the Capitol ===
{{broader|January 6 United States Capitol attack|topic=event}}
{{January 6 United States Capitol attack sidebar|expanded=Related groups and persons}}

On January 6, 2021, Giuliani spoke at the [[January 6 Trump rally|"Save America March" rally]] on [[the Ellipse]] that was attended by Trump supporters protesting the election results. He repeated conspiracy theories that voting machines used in the election were "crooked" and called for "[[trial by combat]]",<ref>{{cite web|last=Palma|first=Bethania|date=January 6, 2021|title=Did Rudy Giuliani Call for 'Trial By Combat' Before Trump Mob Broke Into Capitol?|work=Snopes|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/giuliani-rally-speech/|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=January 9, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210109191543/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/giuliani-rally-speech/|url-status=live}}</ref> which he claimed after the riot had not been a call to violence but a reference to ''[[Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sippell |first=Margeaux |date=January 14, 2021 |title=Rudy Giuliani Says Tyrion From 'Game of Thrones' Inspired US Capitol Speech |url=https://www.thewrap.com/rudy-giuliani-tyrion-lannister-game-of-thrones-capitol-riot-speech/ |work=The Wrap |access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Crump |first=James |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Giuliani bizarrely claims 'trial by combat' comments at MAGA Capitol rally were a reference to Game of Thrones and did not incite violence |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/rudy-giuliani-rally-game-of-thrones-b1786613.html |work=The Independent |access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gerstein |first=Julie |date=January 12, 2021 |title=Rudy Giuliani says his 'trial by combat' comment during Trump's January 6 rally was a 'Game of Thrones' reference, not a call to violence |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/giuliani-claims-trial-by-combat-comment-game-of-thrones-reference-2021-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref> Trump supporters subsequently [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|stormed the U.S. Capitol]] in a riot that resulted in the deaths of four people,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Freiman |first1=Jordan |title=4 dead after Trump supporters storm U.S. Capitol |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-supporters-us-capitol-4-dead/ |website=CBS News |access-date=January 7, 2021 |date=January 7, 2021}}</ref> and temporarily disrupted the [[2021 United States Electoral College vote count|counting of the Electoral College vote]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/congress-certifying-the-election-explainer.html|title=Congress Did Not Finish Certifying the Election Results. What Happens Next?|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Alan|last=Rappeport|date=January 6, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref>

Giuliani had reportedly called Republican lawmakers to urge them to delay the electoral vote count with the intention of throwing the election to Trump. Giuliani attempted to contact Alabama Senator [[Tommy Tuberville]], a Trump ally, around 7{{spaces}}p.m. following the Capitol storming, planning to ask him to "try to just slow it down" by objecting to multiple states and "raise issues so that we get ourselves into tomorrow{{snd}}ideally until the end of tomorrow".<ref name="Pitofsky-2021">{{cite news |last=Pitofsky |first=Marina |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Giuliani calls wrong senator in last-ditch effort to delay certification of Biden's win |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/533086-giuliani-calls-wrong-senator-in-pressuring-them-to-continue-objecting-votes/ |work=The Hill |access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Serfaty |first1=Sunlan |last2=Cole |first2=Devan |last3=Rogers |first3=Alex |date=January 8, 2021 |title=As riot raged at Capitol, Trump tried to call senators to overturn election |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/politics/mike-lee-tommy-tuberville-trump-misdialed-capitol-riot |work=CNN |access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> However, Giuliani mistakenly left the message on the voicemail of another senator,<ref name="Pitofsky-2021" /> who leaked the recording to ''[[The Dispatch]]''.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 7, 2021 |last=Hayes|first=Steve|title=Giuliani to Senator: 'Try to Just Slow it Down'|url=https://thedispatch.com/p/giuliani-to-senator-try-to-just-slow|access-date=January 12, 2021|website=thedispatch.com}}</ref> [[Rick Perlstein]], a noted historian of the American conservative political movement, termed Giuliani's effort as treasonous: "Sedition. Open and shut. He talked about the time that was being opened up. He was welcoming, and using, the violence. This needs to be investigated," Perlstein tweeted days after the riot.<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Perlstein |first=Rick |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Sedition. Open and shut. |number=1348801954441555969 |access-date=January 12, 2021 |user=rickperlstein |author-link=Rick Perlstein }}</ref>

Giuliani faced criticism for his appearance at the rally and the Capitol riot that followed it. Former Congressman and [[Morning Joe|MSNBC host]] [[Joe Scarborough]] called for the arrest of Giuliani, President Trump, and [[Donald Trump Jr.]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gstalter |first1=Morgan |title=Scarborough calls for arrest of Trump, Giuliani and Trump Jr. for insurrection against US |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/533072-scarborough-calls-for-arrest-of-trump-giuliani-and-trump-jr-for-insurrection/ |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=The Hill |date=January 7, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=January 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108020745/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/533072-scarborough-calls-for-arrest-of-trump-giuliani-and-trump-jr-for-insurrection |url-status=live }}</ref> Manhattan College president Brennan O'Donnell stated in a January{{spaces}}7 open letter to the college community, "one of the loudest voices fueling the anger, hatred, and violence that spilled out yesterday is a graduate of our College, Rudolph Giuliani. His conduct as a leader of the campaign to de-legitimize the election and disenfranchise millions of voters{{snd}}has been and continues to be a repudiation of the deepest values of his alma mater."<ref>{{cite web|title=Message from the President: Storming of the Capitol Building |url=https://manhattan.edu/news/archive/2021/01/statement-from-the-president-capitol.php |date=January 7, 2021 |first=Brennan |last=O'Donnell|access-date=January 9, 2021|website=Manhattan College |language=en}}</ref>

On January 11, the [[New York State Bar Association]], an advocacy group for the legal profession in New York state, announced that it was launching an investigation into whether Giuliani should be removed from its membership rolls, noting both Giuliani's comments to the Trump supporter rally at the Ellipse on January 6, and that it "has received hundreds of complaints in recent months about Mr. Giuliani and his baseless efforts on behalf of President Trump to cast doubt on the veracity of the 2020 presidential election and, after the votes were cast, to overturn its legitimate results".<ref>{{cite web|last=DeSantis|first=Susan|date=January 11, 2021|title=New York State Bar Association Launches Historic Inquiry Into Removing Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani From Its Membership|url=https://nysba.org/new-york-state-bar-association-launches-historic-inquiry-into-removing-trump-attorney-rudy-giuliani-from-its-membership/|access-date=January 11, 2021|website=New York State Bar Association}}</ref><ref name="Feuer-2021">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/giuliani-disbarment.html |access-date=20 December 2023 |title=A state senator referred Rudy Giuliani for disbarment. |first=Alan |last=Feuer |date=January 11, 2021 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> Removal from the group's membership rolls would not directly disbar Giuliani from practicing law in New York.<ref>{{cite web|title=Attorney Verification|url=https://nysba.org/attorney-resources/attorney-verification/|access-date=January 11, 2021|website=New York State Bar Association|language=en-US}}</ref> New York State Sen. [[Brad Hoylman]] and lawyers' group Lawyers Defending American Democracy, also filed a complaints against Giuliani with the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department of the [[New York Supreme Court]], which has the authority to discipline and disbar licensed New York lawyers.<ref name="Feuer-2021" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Wester|first=Jane|date=January 13, 2021|title=Will Rudy Giuliani Be Disbarred in New York? An 'Unusual' Case Heads to Disciplinary Committee|url=https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2021/01/13/will-rudy-giuliani-be-disbarred-in-new-york-an-unusual-case-heads-to-disciplinary-committee/?slreturn=20210014123056|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=New York Law Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-new-york-us-news-courts-604a7c3a7349f320227697c807e61793|title=Lawyers want Giuliani investigated, license suspended|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=March 19, 2021}}</ref>

Also on January 11, 2021, District of Columbia Attorney General [[Karl Racine]] said that he is looking at whether to charge Giuliani, along with [[Donald Trump Jr.]] and Representative [[Mo Brooks]], with inciting the violent attack.<ref>{{cite news |title=DC attorney general considers riot incitement charges against Donald Trump Jr., Giuliani, GOP Rep. Brooks |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/capitol-riot-donald-trump-jr-rudy-giuliani-could-face-charges-in-dc.html |access-date=January 12, 2021 |work=CNBC |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113193353/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/capitol-riot-donald-trump-jr-rudy-giuliani-could-face-charges-in-dc.html |date=January 11, 2021 |first=Dan |last=Mangan |url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 29, 2021, Giuliani said falsely that [[The Lincoln Project]] played a role in the organization of the Capitol riot.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lambe|first=Jerry|date=January 29, 2021|title=Rudy Giuliani Desperately Tries to Pin Pro-Trump Capitol Siege on the Lincoln Project|url=https://lawandcrime.com/crazy/rudy-giuliani-desperately-tries-to-pin-pro-trump-capitol-siege-on-the-lincoln-project/|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=[[Law & Crime]]}}</ref> In response, [[Steve Schmidt]] threatened to sue Giuliani for defamation.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Connell|first=Oliver|date=January 30, 2021|title=Lincoln Project says it will sue Rudy Giuliani over Capitol riot claims|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/lincoln-project-rudy-giuliani-sue-capitol-riots-b1795215.html|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>

On March 5, 2021, Representative [[Eric Swalwell]] filed a civil lawsuit against Giuliani and three others ([[Donald Trump]], [[Donald Trump Jr.]], and Representative [[Mo Brooks]]), seeking damages for their alleged role in inciting the Capitol riot.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/06/03/eric-swalwell-sues-donald-trump-rudy-giuliani-over-capitol-riot-but-cant-find-mo-brooks/7522681002/ |title=Unanswered calls and a thwarted private detective: Swalwell's lawsuit over Jan. 6 has trouble getting started |last=Jansen |first=Bart |date=June 3, 2021 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=July 26, 2021}}</ref>

Responding to a January 2022 subpoena from the [[United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack|House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack]],<ref>{{cite news |title=January 6 committee subpoenas Giuliani and 3 others |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/politics/rudy-giuliani-january-6-subpoena/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |date=January 18, 2022 |first1=Zachary |last1=Cohen |first2=Annie |last2=Grayer |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> Giuliani testified on May 20, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Nobles |first1=Ryan |last2=Reid |first2=Paula |date=May 20, 2022 |title=First on CNN: Giuliani meets with January 6 committee for more than 9 hours |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/20/politics/rudy-giuliani-january-6-committee/index.html |access-date=June 12, 2022 |website=CNN}}</ref>

===Indictments===
On August 1, 2023, the Justice Department's special counsel investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election charged Trump with four criminal counts related to those efforts.<ref name="Feuer-2023">{{Cite news |last1=Feuer |first1=Alan |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Trump Is Indicted in His Push to Overturn Election |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/us/politics/trump-indicted-election-jan-6.html |access-date=August 2, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> News reports widely identified Rudy Giuliani as the unnamed "Co-Conspirator 1" (of six) mentioned at least 46 times in the 45-page indictment.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Thayer/Bloomberg |first1=John Eastman Photographer: Eric |last2=Bloomberg |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Here Are the Unindicted Trump Co-Conspirators Mentioned in the Case - BNN Bloomberg |url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/here-are-the-unindicted-trump-co-conspirators-mentioned-in-the-case-1.1953743 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |website=BNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Here are the Trump co-conspirators described in the DOJ indictment |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/08/01/doj-trump-indictment-trump-coconspirators/ |access-date=August 2, 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref> In a statement, Giuliani's lawyer, Robert J. Costello, acknowledged that it “appears that Mayor Giuliani is alleged to be co-conspirator No. 1.”<ref name="Feuer-2023"/>

On August 14, 2023, Giuliani was indicted, along with Donald Trump and 17 others, by an Atlanta, Georgia, grand jury. The 41-count indictment charged the group of 19 under state racketeering laws for conspiring to "change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump." Giuliani's false testimony, in December 2020, to Georgia lawmakers about election fraud is among the events listed in the indictment.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Fausset |first1=Richard |last2=Hakim |first2=Danny |date=August 15, 2023 |title=Trump Indicted in Georgia: Ex-President Accused of Leading Push to Overturn 2020 Vote |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/08/15/us/trump-indictment-georgia-election |access-date=August 15, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> His lawyer (at least for the arraignment) is Brian Tevis.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sangal |first1=Aditi |last2=Vales |first2=Leinz |date=August 23, 2023 |title=Giuliani's Georgia-based attorney enters courthouse in Fulton County |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-indictment-georgia-election-08-23-23/h_8618d79bf316b8dfef4dfaa6450628cd |access-date=August 23, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Giuliani turned himself in at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on August 23, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Andrew |title=Rudy Giuliani Mugshot Released as Trump Ally Embraces Arrest |url=https://www.newsweek.com/rudy-giuliani-mugshot-released-trump-ally-embraces-arrest-1822036 |access-date=August 23, 2023 |work=[[Newsweek]] |date=August 23, 2023}}</ref> On September 9, he filed to have the charges against him quashed.<ref name="Cohen-2023"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Rudy Giuliani held in contempt of court in $148m defamation case |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2jq3wn88o |work=www.bbc.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gedeon |first1=Joseph |title=Rudy Giuliani found in contempt of court over response to defamation judgment |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/06/rudy-giuliani-contempt-court-defamation-case |website=The Guardian |date=7 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chen |first1=Stefanos |title=Rudy Giuliani Is Held in Contempt of Court in Defamation Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/nyregion/rudy-giuliani-contempt-defamation-case.html |website=The New York Times |date=6 January 2025}}</ref>

In April 2024, Giuliani was also among 18 people who were indicted on [[Arizona prosecution of fake electors|charges related to the 2020 election in Arizona]].<ref name="Billeud-2024">{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/arizona-fake-electors-charges-2020-election-9da5a7e58814ed55ceea1ca55401af85|title=Arizona indicts 18 in election interference case, including Giuliani and Meadows|first1=Jacques|last1=Billeud|first2=Josh|last2=Kelety|first3=Jonathan J.|last3=Cooper|publisher=Associated Press|date=April 24, 2024|accessdate=April 26, 2024|archive-date=April 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426010323/https://apnews.com/article/arizona-fake-electors-charges-2020-election-9da5a7e58814ed55ceea1ca55401af85|url-status=live}}</ref> By mid-May, Giuliani was the only defendant yet to be [[Service of process|served]] with a summons to court for this case, with prosecutors stating that they had mailed Giuliani the documents with no response, called Giuliani's telephone with no response, and visited his apartment building but were "not granted access"; Giuliani responded: "Arizona officials say they can't find Giuliani. So this is perfect evidence that if they're so incompetent, they can't find me, they also can't count votes correctly".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Konig |first1=Joseph |title=Arizona prosecutors can't find Rudy Giuliani to serve him with indictment |url=https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/05/15/arizona-indictment-rudy-giuliani-serve |access-date=May 19, 2024 |work=[[ny1.com]] |date=May 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Zachary |title=Arizona officials say they can't find Rudy Giuliani to serve him with indictment notice |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/14/politics/arizona-officials-giuliani-indictment-2020/index.html |access-date=May 19, 2024 |work=[[CNN]] |date=May 15, 2024}}</ref> On May 17, during his early 80th birthday celebration, Giuliani posted on social media a photo of himself smiling in a group of people along with balloons, with Giuliani writing: "If Arizona authorities can't find me by tomorrow morning; 1. They must dismiss the indictment"; around one hour later, Arizona's Attorney General [[Kris Mayes]] announced that Giuliani had been successfully served, while Giuliani's spokesperson responded by criticizing the "decision to try and embarrass [Giuliani] during his 80th birthday party".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tabet |first1=Alex |last2=Hillyard |first2=Vaughn |title=Rudy Giuliani is served indictment papers at his own birthday party after mocking Arizona attorney general |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/two-hours-mocking-arizonas-attorney-general-rudy-giuliani-served-birth-rcna152905 |access-date=May 19, 2024 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=May 19, 2024}}</ref> On May 21, 2024, Giuliani and ten other co-defendants pled not guilty after being arraigned in [[Arizona Superior Court|Maricopa County Superior Court]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/arizona-fake-electors-charges-2020-presidential-election-4987d0774412d95a3dac007e81d5c157|title=Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani pleads not guilty to felony charges in Arizona election interference case|first=Jacques|last=Billeaud|publisher=Associated Press|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/05/21/arizona-felony-charges-Rudy-Giuliani-not-guilty-plea/2621716319913/|title=Giuliani, 10 others plead not guilty to felony election charges in Arizona|first=Mike|last=Heuer|publisher=UPI|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref> However, Giuliani was among five of these eleven defendants who appeared virtually rather than in-person.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-allies-plead-not-guilty-arizona-fake-electors-case-rcna153264|title=Trump allies plead not guilty in Arizona 'fake electors' case|first1=Alexandra|last1=Marquez|first2=Alex|last2=Tabet|publisher=NBC News|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref> The same day, Giuliani was ordered to post a $10,000 bond and was required to book himself into the custody of the [[Maricopa County Sheriff's Office]] within 30 days as a result of him ducking efforts by the state to serve him with a [[summons]] within the past week;<ref name="Goudsward-2024" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/21/politics/rudy-giuliani-arizona-election-subversion/index.html|title=Rudy Giuliani and 10 others plead not guilty to charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Arizona|first1=Holmes|last1=Lybrand|first2=Kyung|last2=Lah|first3=Jack|last3=Hannah|publisher=CNN|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/giuliani-arizona-gop-leaders-plead-not-guilty-in-election-interference-case/|title=Giuliani, Arizona GOP leaders plead not guilty in election interference case|first=Joe|last=Duhownik|publisher=Courthouse News|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref> In contrast to Giuliani, all of the other ten defendants would be released without bond.<ref name="Goudsward-2024">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/giuliani-told-post-bond-arizona-election-case-after-alleged-evasion-2024-05-21/|title=Giuliani told to post bond in Arizona election case after alleged evasion|first=Andrew|last=Goudsward|publisher=Reuters|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref>

In August 2024, an Arizona judge set the trial date for Giuliani and others for January 5, 2026.<ref>{{cite news |last1=lee |first1=Ella |title=Arizona judge sets 2026 trial date for Trump allies’ election subversion case |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4848542-trump-arizona-election-trial-2026/ |access-date=7 May 2025 |date=26 August 2024}}</ref>

=== Suspension of law license and New York disbarment===
On June 24, 2021, [[New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division|a New York appellate court]] suspended Giuliani's law license. The panel of five justices found that there was "uncontroverted" evidence that Giuliani made "demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public" and that "These false statements were made to improperly bolster (Giuliani's) narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client."<ref name="Stempel-2021"/><ref name="New York Official Reports">{{cite web |title=Matter of Giuliani, 2021 NY Slip Op 04086 (1st Dep't June 24, 2021) |url=http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/3dseries/2021/2021_04086.htm |website=New York Official Reports |publisher=New York State Law Reporting Bureau |access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Hong-2021">{{Cite news|last1=Hong|first1=Nicole|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|date=June 24, 2021|title=New York Suspends Giuliani's Law License|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/nyregion/giuliani-law-license-suspended-trump.html|access-date=June 24, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The court concluded that Giuliani's conduct "immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law".<ref name="Stempel-2021"/><ref name="New York Official Reports"/><ref name="Hong-2021"/> His license was also suspended in Washington, D.C., on July 7, 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/politics/rudy-giuliani-suspended-law-washington/index.html |title=Rudy Giuliani suspended from practicing law in Washington, DC |work=CNN |first=Katelyn |last=Polantz |access-date=July 1, 2022 |date=July 7, 2021}}</ref>

On July 2, 2024, a New York state appeals court disbarred Giuliani as a result of his efforts to subvert the 2020 election by making false allegations about mass voter fraud.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/rudy-giuliani-disbarred-new-york-spreading-donald-trumps-2020-election-rcna159972|title=Rudy Giuliani is disbarred in New York for spreading Donald Trump's 2020 election lies|first1=Ryan J.|last1=Reilly|first2=Adam|last2=Reiss|publisher=NBC News|date=July 2, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/02/rudy-giuliani-disbarred-in-new-york-00166232|title=Rudy Giuliani disbarred in New York|first=Kyle|last=Cheney|publisher=Politico|date=July 2, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref>

=== Ethics charges for baseless claims in favor of Trump ===
On June 10, 2022, the [[District of Columbia Bar|DC Bar]]'s Office of Disciplinary Counsel<ref>{{Cite web |title=DC Bar - Office of Disciplinary Counsel |url=https://www.dcbar.org/attorney-discipline/office-of-disciplinary-counsel |access-date=June 12, 2022 |website=dcbar.org |language=en}}</ref> filed charges with the [[District of Columbia Court of Appeals|DC Court of Appeals]]' Board on Professional Responsibility<ref>{{Cite web |title=DC Bar - Board on Professional Responsibility |url=https://www.dcbar.org/attorney-discipline/board-on-professional-responsibility |access-date=June 12, 2022 |website=dcbar.org |language=en}}</ref> against Giuliani. The ethics charges say that Giuliani's federal court filings regarding the [[2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania|2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania]] contained baseless claims in favor of Trump.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2022 |title=Rudy Giuliani charged with ethical misconduct over Trump's big lie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/10/trump-rudy-giuliani-ethical-misconduct-lawsuit |access-date=June 12, 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref>

On December 15, 2022, after a week-long hearing, the D.C. Bar Disciplinary Counsel recommended Giuliani be disbarred for violating rules of professional conduct by making false election fraud claims and trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Pennsylvania. The counsel's decision is preliminary and non-binding.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Habeshian |first1=Sareen |title=D.C. attorney disciplinary counsel finds Giuliani violated ethics rules |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/12/15/attorney-disciplinary-counsel-giuliani |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|access-date=February 16, 2023 |date=December 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Concepcion |first1=Summer |title=D.C. Bar counsel urges Giuliani be disbarred after panel says he most likely committed ethics violation |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/dc-bar-panel-tentatively-finds-giuliani-likely-committed-ethics-violat-rcna61845 |website=[[NBC News]]|access-date=February 16, 2023 |date=December 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sneed |first=Tierney |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/15/politics/rudy-giuliani-ethics-hearing/index.html |title=Attorney disciplinary committee says Giuliani violated ethics rules with 2020 election fraud claims |work=[[CNN]] |date=December 15, 2022 |access-date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> On July 7, 2023, an ad hoc hearing committee of the Board on Professional Responsibility recommended that he be disbarred,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=July 7, 2023 |title=Attorney disciplinary committee recommends Rudy Giuliani be disbarred for 2020 election legal work |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/07/politics/dc-bar-rudy-giuliani/index.html |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}}</ref> and on May 31, 2024, the board itself agreed.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sneed |first1=Tierney |last2=Polantz |first2=Katelyn |date=2024-05-31 |title=DC attorney discipline board recommends Rudy Giuliani be disbarred for bogus 2020 election fraud claim |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/31/politics/rudy-giuliani-election-fraud-disbarment/index.html |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> He was disbarred by the DC Court of Appeals on September 26, 2024.<ref name=":0" />

=== Supermarket incident ===
On June 27, 2022, Giuliani appeared at ShopRite, a supermarket in Staten Island, campaigning on behalf of his son Andrew, who was attempting to become the Republican nominee for governor of New York.<ref name="Lenthang-2022">{{cite news |last1=Lenthang |first1=Marlene |title=Rudy Giuliani says the supermarket employee accused of slapping him should be prosecuted |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rudy-giuliani-says-supermarket-employee-accused-slapping-prosecuted-rcna35438 |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=June 28, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Meko-2022">{{cite news |last1=Meko |first1=Hurubie |title=Man Who Patted Giuliani's Back Is Set to Have Assault Charge Dismissed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/nyregion/rudy-giuliani-supermarket-attack-charges.html |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926001704/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/nyregion/rudy-giuliani-supermarket-attack-charges.html |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> After Giuliani's appearance, a 39-year-old supermarket employee, Daniel Gill, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault for allegedly slapping Giuliani's back in the store.<ref name="Lenthang-2022"/> Giuliani responded publicly that it was like "a boulder hit me" or "like somebody shot me"; "it hurt tremendously".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lenthang |first1=Marlene |title=Charges downgraded against supermarket employee accused of slapping Rudy Giuliani |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/charges-downgraded-supermarket-employee-accused-slapping-rudy-giuliani-rcna35641 |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=June 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Spector |first1=Joseph |title=Giuliani: Smack on the back felt like 'a boulder hit me' |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook-pm/2022/06/27/rudy-giuliani-smack-on-the-back-felt-like-a-boulder-hit-me-00042616 |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[Politico]] |date=June 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Oshin |first1=Olafimihan |title=Giuliani says video of supermarket incident 'a little deceptive' |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3538414-giuliani-says-video-of-supermarket-incident-a-little-deceptive/ |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=June 27, 2022}}</ref> Giuliani further stated that the "very, very heavy shot" by Gill caused him to stumble and "could've easily ... knocked me to the ground and killed me by my head getting hit", and called for Gill's firing and prosecution.<ref name="Lenthang-2022"/> The Legal Aid Society, representing Gill, asserted that Giuliani had exaggerated the severity of the slap in order to garner greater amounts of attention from the media: "Our client merely patted Mr. Giuliani, who sustained nothing remotely resembling physical injuries, without malice to simply get his attention, as the video footage clearly showed," the Legal Aid Society stated in a press release.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mannie |first=Kathryn |date=June 28, 2022 |title=Rudy Giuliani slap: Charges downgraded for accused grocery store employee |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8952838/rudy-giuliani-slap-downgraded-charges-daniel-gill/ |work=Global News |access-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref>

Within a day of the incident, ''The New York Post'' posted video footage of it.<ref name="Meko-2022"/> ''The New York Times'' described that the video "contradicted" Giuliani's account, showing Gill walking quickly past Giuliani, "patting him on the back", whereby Giuliani "wobbled slightly forward".<ref name="Meko-2022"/> ''The Hill'' described that the "video shows Giuliani barely moving after a ShopRite employee's hand makes contact with his back", while Giuliani responded that the "videotape that you see is probably a little deceptive", stressing that he was "hit very, very hard on the back. To such an extent that it knocked me back about two steps."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Breslin |first1=Maureen |title=NYC mayor says Giuliani should be investigated: 'To falsely report a crime is a crime' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3539994-nyc-mayor-says-giuliani-should-be-investigated-to-falsely-report-a-crime-is-a-crime/ |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=June 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Jill |title=Charge Against Giuliani Backslapper Reduced To Misdemeanor; Rudy Calls Video 'Deceptive' |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/former-mayor-rudy-giuliani-press-conference-new-yok-assaulted-grocery-store-worker-staten-island-campaigning-1235052589/ |access-date=September 26, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=June 27, 2022}}</ref>

After the video was released, Gill's charge was reduced to third-degree assault on June 28, while third-degree menacing and second-degree harassment charges were simultaneously added.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mannie |first1=Kathryn |title=Rudy Giuliani slap: Charges downgraded for accused grocery store employee |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8952838/rudy-giuliani-slap-downgraded-charges-daniel-gill/#:~:text=Prosecutors%20downgraded%20Gill's%20charge%20to,degree%20harassment%2C%20legal%20filings%20show.&text=Gill%20was%20released%20from%20police,his%20own%20recognizance%20on%20Monday. |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=[[Global News]] |date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> Gill acknowledged telling Giuliani: "What's up, scumbag?" during the incident.<ref name="Meko-2022"/> In September 2022, Gill agreed to an [[adjournment in contemplation of dismissal]], whereby all charges would be dismissed if he does not violate the law in the next six months.<ref name="Meko-2022"/>

In May 2023, Gill sued Giuliani, seeking monetary damages "for [[false arrest]], civil rights conspiracy resulting in false arrest and false imprisonment, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bekiempis |first=Victoria |date=2023-05-17 |title=Man sues Giuliani over false arrest after 'pat' on back led to assault charge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/17/rudy-giuliani-lawsuit-daniel-gill-staten-island-store |access-date=2024-05-11 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

=== Sexual assault and misconduct allegations ===
On May 15, 2023, Noelle Dunphy, a former off-the-books employee of Giuliani, filed a civil lawsuit against him.<ref name="Stempel-2023">{{cite news |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=May 15, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani sued for $10 million by former aide over alleged sexual assault |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/rudy-giuliani-sued-10-million-by-former-aide-over-alleged-sexual-assault-2023-05-15/ |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref> She accused Giuliani of sexual assault, wage theft and unlawful abuse of power.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Adam |last=Durbin |date=May 16, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani accused of sexual harassment by ex-employee |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65606131 |access-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref> Dunphy claimed that sexually satisfying Giuliani was an "absolute requirement" of her job;<ref name="Stempel-2023" /> the complaint also said that Giuliani "often made outrageous comments that created and added to the hostile work environment that Ms. Dunphy was forced to endure," and that he was constantly under the effects of alcohol.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mandler |first=C. |date=May 16, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani denies sexual assault allegations made in $10 million lawsuit by former employee |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-sued-10-million-by-former-employee-noelle-dunphy-accusing-him-of-sexual-assault/ |work=[[CBS News]] |access-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref> The lawsuit further alleges Giuliani complained about "'freakin Arabs' and Jews," and "implied that [Jewish men's] penises were inferior due to 'natural selection.'"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kornbluh |first=Jacob |date=May 15, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani made antisemitic remarks about Jews' genitalia, mocked 'freaking Passover' observance, new lawsuit claims |url=https://forward.com/fast-forward/547096/rudy-giuliani-antisemitic-remarks-jews-genitalia-mocked-freaking-passover-lawsuit/ |access-date=May 22, 2023 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref> The lawsuit also alleges that Giuliani and [[Donald Trump]] sold pardons for $2&nbsp;million apiece.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 16, 2023 |title=Rudy Giuliani said he and Trump were selling pardons for $2m apiece, ex-aide claims |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/rudy-giuliani-selling-pardons-b2339652.html |first=Andrew |last=Feinberg |access-date=May 16, 2023 |website=[[The Independent]] |language=en}}</ref>

In her 2023 memoir [[Enough (book)|''Enough'']], [[Cassidy Hutchinson]] says that Giuliani [[Groping|groped]] her backstage during Donald Trump's speech on January 6, 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richards |first1=Zoë |last2=Rodriguez |first2=Jesse |date=20 September 2023 |title=Former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson alleges Rudy Giuliani groped her on Jan. 6 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/cassidy-hutchinson-alleges-rudy-giuliani-groped-jan-6-rcna108123 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zhang |first=Andrew |date=20 September 2023 |title=Former White House aide claims Giuliani groped her on Jan. 6, according to book |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/20/cassidy-hutchinson-claims-rudy-giuliani-groped-her-on-jan-6-00117266 |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pengelly |first1=Martin |title=Ex-Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson claims Rudy Giuliani groped her on January 6 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/20/rudy-giuliani-grope-cassidy-hutchinson-claim-january-6-trump-aide |access-date=September 20, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 20, 2023}}</ref>

=== Other legal issues ===
In September 2023, law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron sued Giuliani for over $1.3&nbsp;million in unpaid legal fees. The firm alleged that Giuliani had paid only $214,000 of his total legal bill between November 2019 and July 2023. Giuliani said in a statement that the firm's bill "is way in excess to anything approaching legitimate fees."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goudsward |first=Andrew |date=2023-09-19 |title=Giuliani sued over $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/giuliani-sued-over-14-million-unpaid-legal-fees-2023-09-19/ |access-date=2023-10-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=2023-09-19 |title=Rudy Giuliani sued by own lawyer for $1.3m in unpaid fees |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/19/rudy-giuliani-sued-lawyer-unpaid-fees |access-date=2023-10-05 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=2023-09-19 |title=Rudy Giuliani's former attorneys sue him for more than $1.3 million in unpaid legal fees |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/politics/rudy-giuliani-legal-fees-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

Also in September 2023, [[Hunter Biden]] filed a civil lawsuit against Giuliani, his companies and attorney Robert Costello, alleging that they had spent years "hacking into, tampering with, manipulating, copying, disseminating, and generally obsessing over data that they were given that was taken or stolen from" his personal devices and caused "total annihilation" of his digital privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cole |first1=Devan |last2=Reid |first2=Paula |date=2023-09-26 |title=Hunter Biden sues Rudy Giuliani and his former attorney, alleging they tried to hack his devices |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/politics/hunter-biden-rudy-giuliani-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 September 2023 |title=Hunter Biden sues Trump ally Rudy Giuliani over data breach allegations |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/26/hunter-biden-sues-trump-ally-rudy-giuliani-over-data-breach-allegations |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mangan |first=Dan |date=2023-09-26 |title=Hunter Biden sues former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani over infamous laptop |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/26/hunter-biden-sues-rudy-giuliani-over-infamous-laptop.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> Biden dropped the lawsuit in June 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Grumbach |first1=Gary |last2=Lebowitz |first2=Megan |date=2024-06-14 |title=Hunter Biden to drop lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hunter-biden-drop-lawsuit-rudy-giuliani-robert-costello-rcna157126 |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2023, Giuliani filed a defamation lawsuit in [[New Hampshire]] against President [[Joe Biden]] for referring to him as a "Russian pawn" during a [[2020 United States presidential debates|2020 presidential debate]]. Giuliani alleged that Biden's comments were false and that he had been personally harmed by them.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Zachary |last2=Main |first2=Alison |date=2023-10-04 |title=Rudy Giuliani sues Joe Biden for calling him a 'Russian pawn' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/04/politics/rudy-giuliani-lawsuit-joe-biden-russian-pawn/index.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach |date=2023-10-04 |title=Giuliani sues Biden for defamation over 'Russian pawn' remark |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4238493-giuliani-sues-biden-for-defamation-over-russian-pawn-remark/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005001114/https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4238493-giuliani-sues-biden-for-defamation-over-russian-pawn-remark/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 5, 2023 |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Giuliani did not respond to a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-02 |title=Giuliani appears to give up on his much-hyped 'Russian pawn' defamation suit against Biden |url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/giuliani-appears-to-give-up-on-his-much-hyped-russian-pawn-defamation-suit-against-biden/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Law & Crime |language=en}}</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed in September, with the judge saying that Giuliani had "utterly failed" to carry his burden.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Rashid |first=Hafiz |date=September 16, 2024 |title="Utterly Failed": Judge Shuts Down Giuliani's Latest Desperate Lawsuit |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/185994/utterly-failed-judge-rudy-giuliani-defamation-lawsuit-biden |access-date=2024-09-19 |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |issn=0028-6583}}</ref>