Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred for 'harming the country,' says D.C. Bar Association counsel
![Rudy Giuliani](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CmZZBXibFUfSCt2oSgfTVo-415-80.jpg)
Former U.S. Attorney and onetime New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani should have his law license revoked for "harming the country" as part of former President Donald Trump's effort to subvert and overturn the results of his 2020 electoral loss, a lawyer for the Washington D.C. Bar Association's Office of Disciplinary Counsel said on Thursday.
"It was a fundamental harm to the fabric of the country that could well be irreparable," Attorney Hamilton "Phil" Fox announced after a three-member panel found that Guiliani had likely violated at least one professional standard as part of his work to help Trump manipulate Pennsylvania's electoral results. "Any lawyer that engages in this kind of misconduct, harming the country as this has done, has at least got to realize that his or her law license is at risk."
While the Bar Association's panel did not specify which rule of conduct it had determined Giuliani most likely broke, chairman Robert Bernius left little doubt in the committee's finding, citing "clear and convincing evidence" that had been presented during days of recent testimony to determine whether Giuliani should face professional consequences for his role in the 2020 electoral scheme.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While Bernius stressed that the panel's decision — set to be officially submitted to the district's full Board on Professional Responsibility — was "preliminary" and "non-binding," it nevertheless represents a significant advance in the ongoing process to hold Giuliani professionally accountable for his work on Trump's behalf. Last year the New York State Bar Association suspended Giuliani's law license for making "demonstrably false and misleading statements" about the 2020 election results. His license was suspended in D.C. shortly thereafter.
The final decision on Giuliani's fate rests in the hands of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Attorney John Leventhal, who represented Giuliani during the panel hearings, has argued for the least onerous punishments, such as a written or oral reprimand. Anything more, Leventhal cautioned to NBC News, and "you're going to chill effective advocacy in the future."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
The GOP is Donald Trump Jr.'s party now
In The Spotlight The former president's gun-loving, live-streaming adult son has emerged as more than just his father's namesake — he's become a Republican powerhouse of his own
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
For God and country: is religion in politics making a comeback?
Talking Point There are many MPs of faith in the new Labour government despite it being the most openly secular House of Commons in history
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The attack on Donald Trump
Opinion We've seen this kind of shooter before
By Susan Caskie Published
-
74 things Donald Trump has said about women
Feature The former president has a long history of controversial remarks about the opposite sex
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
DHS opens review of Trump assassination attempt
Speed Read An independent panel will investigate the Secret Service's handling of the shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Can Kamala Harris beat Trump?
Today's Big Question Some senior Democrats are unsure the vice-president can win in November even as party closes ranks behind her
By The Week UK Published
-
Iran: does Masoud Pezeshkian's election mark a turning point?
Talking Point New president is seen as a progressive but much will depend on how the US reacts
By The Week UK Published
-
'Although we can't eliminate political violence, we can minimize it'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published