Rudy Giuliani reportedly beseeched former President Donald Trump to cover his legal expenses during a direct meeting at Mar-a-Lago, as per reports.
In April, a desperate Giuliani and his lawyer Robert Costello journeyed to Florida to personally plead their case to the former president. They aimed to convince Trump to foot the bill for Giuliani’s substantial legal fees, an amount rumored to be in the seven figures, according to CNN.
During separate discussions, Giuliani and Costello proposed that Trump’s interests as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate would be served by shouldering these costs. However, Trump exhibited limited enthusiasm but verbally committed to assisting the former mayor of New York City without specifying any particulars.
This development comes against the backdrop of Giuliani’s complex involvement with Trump. This week, the former president faced his fourth indictment, accused of endeavors to overturn the 2020 Georgia election. Concurrently, Giuliani, once a close adviser to Trump, confronted charges related to the same Georgia case. He was alleged to have made multiple untrue assertions about the election’s vote-counting process.
Following the April meetings involving Trump, Giuliani, and Costello, it was reported that Trump had agreed to participate in two fundraisers organized by his former attorney. Trump’s Trump Save America PAC agreed to disburse $340,000 to cover expenses associated with promoting Giuliani’s record through a data vendor.
Recently, another of Giuliani’s attorneys informed a New York state judge that the ex-mayor was unable to afford additional legal fees required to furnish records in a defamation lawsuit lodged by Smartmatic, a voter technology firm. Smartmatic sued Giuliani over allegations he made concerning the 2020 election.
Giuliani’s legal predicaments appear to be mounting. He was indicted by a grand jury in Georgia for his alleged involvement in a ‘criminal enterprise’ linked to Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. Under the judge’s orders, he is expected to surrender for arrest by August 25.
As a former personal attorney for Trump, Giuliani played a prominent role in propagating false assertions of widespread election fraud during the 2020 campaign. His legal maneuvers were consistently dismissed by courts, and he provided unfounded claims in testimonies during local hearings in Georgia, asserting possession of evidence that substantiated election fraud.
The grand jury indictment charges Giuliani with making numerous false statements about election fraud, including to officials in states like Arizona and Pennsylvania. His aim was purportedly to persuade them to approve alternate electors, thereby preserving Trump’s hold on power.
Additionally, Giuliani and other Trump associates were accused of making untruthful statements to Georgia lawmakers regarding the election, including allegations about errors in vote counting attributable to Dominion voting machines.
Giuliani is also grappling with legal action from election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, mentioned in the indictment, who filed a defamation suit against him. A judge ruled that he must pay them $89,000 in legal fees.
Despite Fox News settling with Dominion in April over allegations of knowingly broadcasting false claims regarding the 2020 election, Dominion’s defamation lawsuit against Giuliani reportedly remains active. Dominion, a voting systems company, sued Giuliani and Sidney Powell, another former lawyer for Trump, in January 2021.
Both lawsuits against Giuliani are apparently ongoing, according to Reuters. A Dominion spokesperson affirmed the company’s intent to continue pursuing accountability for false statements made about them.
In May, Giuliani faced allegations of sexual harassment from Noelle Dunphy, a published writer and business consultant who worked for him from 2019 to 2021. A federal lawsuit in Manhattan alleged that Dunphy was subjected to regular sexual abuse during her employment by her prominent ex-employer. Giuliani, whose law license was suspended, has staunchly denied these accusations.
Adding to his troubles, Giuliani placed his $6.5 million Upper East Side apartment on the market in July. The three-bedroom residence near Central Park, listed with Sotheby’s Realty, features a wood-burning fireplace and a ‘semi-private elevator landing.’ Despite Giuliani’s absence in most listing photos, an observant eye can spot a replica of Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees jersey given to him in 2002.
The apartment boasts expansive views, abundant sunlight, high ceilings, and elegant hardwood floors. The layout is enriched with original details like wood paneling and leaded-glass windows.