WASHINGTON — Rudy Giulianithe disgraced former mayor of New York City who tried to overthrow the former president Donald Trump‘s election loss was expunged in New York state on Tuesday, further backlash for the team that spread lies about massive voter fraud after Joe Biden‘s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
Giuliani, who is facing charges in Georgia and Arizona and is an unindicted accomplice in the federal election interference case brought against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith, did not have “good faith” to believe the lies he spread about the election, according to an order issued Tuesday. Among the false statements cited by a New York appeals court were comments Giuliani made during a post-election press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping, which came at the same time that some new media outlets were calling the election for Biden.
“These false statements were made to improperly support defendant’s story that his client’s victory in the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen from him by widespread voter fraud,” the ruling by a New York appeals court said.
Giuliani has reportedly faced far greater consequences for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election than Trump himself. He also faces the risk of being disbarred in Washington, where the DC Bar’s Board of Professional Responsibility recently recommended that Giuliani be disbarred.
In May, Giuliani was suspended and his show canceled by WABC radio after he continued to make false statements about the 2020 election, potentially exposing the station to legal liability.
Two Georgia poll workers — Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss — were awarded $148 million by a jury after a federal judge found Giuliani liable for falsely accusing them of election fraud, allegations that had no factual basis. Using surveillance footage that had fueled conspiracy theorists online, Giuliani falsely accused the mother-daughter duo of passing around USB drives “as if they were carrying vials of heroin or cocaine,” when in fact they were passing around ginger mints. The allegations sparked a wave of racist attacks and threats against the couple.
In the course of the disciplinary case in New York, Giuliani established that thousands of votes were not in fact cast in the names of deceased people in Philadelphia during the 2020 election, as he had previously falsely claimed. The arbitrator overseeing the proceedings, the ruling noted, found “16 deceitful acts” performed by Giuliani “were intentional and constituted a transparent pattern of conduct intended and designed to deceive.”
The ruling also accused Giuliani of attempting to mislead officials during the disciplinary process.
Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, called the decision “politically and ideologically corrupt” and “flawed.”
Barry Kamins, a former judge and Giuliani’s attorney, said his team is “considering our options for appeal” and that “Mr. Giuliani is clearly disappointed with the decision.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
