Former Trump attorney, Rudy Giuliani, is facing a lawsuit from his former lawyers who claim he owes $1.36 million in unpaid legal fees. Robert Costello, a partner at the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, filed the lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, seeking payment for legal services provided to Giuliani since 2019.
The lawsuit outlines that Costello’s firm began representing Giuliani in November 2019, a representation that extended until July of this year. The legal services encompassed early involvement in election interference cases in Georgia and Washington, D.C.
The law firm alleges that they billed Giuliani directly for fees and expenses amounting to over $1.5 million, with Giuliani only paying $214,000.
Responding to the lawsuit, Giuliani expressed his dismay at the dollar amount being sought, stating, “I can’t express how personally hurt I am by what Bob Costello has done. It’s a real shame when lawyers do things like this, and all I will say is that their bill is way in excess to anything approaching legitimate fees.”
Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump hosted a fundraiser to support a legal defense fund for Giuliani, who is one of Trump’s co-defendants in Georgia for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. All 19 defendants, including Giuliani, have pleaded not guilty.
In a federal election interference case, Giuliani is identified as co-conspirator #1, based on previous testimony and records. The indictment cites Giuliani’s efforts to overturn the election results using false claims of fraud in Arizona and Georgia.
This lawsuit from Costello and his firm adds to Giuliani’s legal challenges. Earlier this year, he faced a $10 million lawsuit from Noelle Dunphy, who accused him of harassment and discussions about selling presidential pardons. Giuliani denied the allegations. In July, a disciplinary board for the DC Bar Association recommended stripping Giuliani of his law license over alleged “malicious and meritless claims” to undermine the 2020 election. Giuliani’s spokesman argued this was part of an effort to undermine his effectiveness as President Trump’s counsel.
Lastly, in a recent development, a federal judge found Giuliani liable for defaming two election workers while promoting Trump’s false claims of a stolen election.