Why did Rudy Giuliani get disbarred in New York?

Though the Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump is shielded from his participation in events leading up to and on January 6th, 2021, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani has not been so lucky. Today, a New York court disbarred Giuliani, citing his attempts to overturn the 2020 election as a reason to have his right to practice law in the state revoked. Giuliani began his legal career in 1969, and though he had not practiced in several years, the court’s decision made such professional opportunities impossible.

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While the court was reviewing the petition to have the former mayor disbarred, his law license had been suspended pending review. “The disciplinary charges stem from the allegations that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers, and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed effort at reelection in 2020,” reads the court document.

The victims of Rudy Giuliani’s lies

Giuliani’s lies had real consequences for ordinary people who were attacked because of his statements. Two of those people are Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who he accused of interfering with the ballot count in Fulton County, Georgia. Shaye Moss testified to the horrific treatment she and her mother endured in front of the House Select Committee on January 6th.

These baseless accusations, amplified by the former president, led to the two women receiving death threats and Trump supporters showing up at their homes and forcing them into hiding. In December 2023, a jury in Washington, DC, granted significant multimillion-dollar compensation to the Freeman-Moss family, which will be paid by Rudy Giuliani. The very real-world harm and pain inflicted by Giuliani’s defamation on the two led the eight-member jury to award Shaye and Lady Ruby $148 million in damages.