Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City, expressed on Sunday that his unwavering loyalty to ex-President Donald Trump would prove beneficial to him even in the afterlife.
Giuliani, who was once Trump’s lawyer, is now facing a hefty penalty of $148 million. This comes after a court found him guilty of defaming two election workers from Georgia, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who happen to be a mother-daughter duo. Giuliani played a prominent role in promoting Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud following the 2020 presidential election, which led to his defeat against Joe Biden. He went as far as spreading unfounded conspiracy theories accusing Freeman and Moss of committing election fraud while counting ballots in Fulton County, Georgia.
Freeman and Moss, in their lawsuit, stated that the allegations made against them, which were greatly magnified by Giuliani, led to a barrage of harassment and threats. Despite the verdict ruling against him, the former mayor remained steadfast in his stance, expressing no remorse for his remarks and criticizing the exorbitant penalty amount that ultimately led him to file for bankruptcy in the previous year.
During a Sunday WABC radio broadcast, Giuliani admitted that he would face disbarment due to his disclosure of what he referred to as “confidential information.” This revelation came after he was held responsible for defaming Freeman and Moss.
“I know that no matter what, the Bar Association is going to come down hard on me. They’ll strip me of my license in both New York and Washington. But here’s the thing – it won’t be because I did something wrong,” he explained. “In fact, I see it as a badge of honor. Sticking to my principles and refusing to back down, unlike those who are too afraid to represent Trump, is something that will earn me merits in the eyes of heaven.”
Newsweek has contacted Giuliani through an online email form and reached out to Trump’s spokesperson via email for comment.
Giuliani’s comments, however, follow his previous statement last month where he claimed to be owed $2 million in legal fees from the campaign of the former president.
During a bankruptcy court hearing in New York in early February, Giuliani revealed that Trump’s campaign team had not compensated him for the services he rendered following the 2020 election.
During the meeting with his creditors at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Giuliani clarified that his claim for the money he is owed is directed towards the Trump campaign and the Republican National Campaign, rather than personally targeting Trump himself, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
In a recent development, Judge Scott McAfee became the target of criticism. On Friday, he made a ruling that allows Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to proceed with the prosecution of Trump and other defendants, including Giuliani, in the Georgia election interference case.
In August, a Georgia grand jury indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on criminal racketeering charges. They are accused of attempting to overturn the state’s electoral results in the 2020 election, which was won by Biden.
The judge, McAfee, made a ruling that allowed the district attorney to proceed with the case, on the condition that Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor whom she was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with, be removed. Following the judge’s decision, Wade subsequently resigned from his position.
Giuliani faced a total of 13 charges, which included violating Georgia’s anti-organized crime RICO act, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiring to file false documents. Similar to Trump, he pleaded not guilty to all charges and vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
Last week, McAfee dismissed six counts in the indictment, which included three charges against Giuliani and Trump.