Former legal representatives of Rudy Giuliani, a long-standing and one-time legal counsel to ex-President Donald Trump, have started legal proceedings against him, seeking payment of about $1.4Mln in purported unsettled legal fees.
Robert Costello, an associate at the Davidoff Hutcher & Citron law firm, filed a case in a New York state court against Giuliani. He alleges Giuliani pledged to pay for the firm's legal service bills that accrued between November 2019 and July 2023 but only paid $214,000, leaving $1,360,196.10 unpaid.
On several occasions, Costello and the legal team acted as Giuliani's counsel, notably during investigations conducted by both Congress and special counsel Jack Smith into the events of the 6 January 2021 storming of the Capitol. They also represented him in matters concerning Fulton County, Georgia., where District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating a supposed plot to cancel election results in the state.
Alongside his two continuing criminal cases, Giuliani is embroiled in three defamation lawsuits stemming from remarks he made to assist Trump in contesting the 2020 election outcome.
These actions comprise two claims made by voting equipment companies and another by a mother-daughter duo who were acting as election workers in Georgia. Giuliani is also entangled in professional misconduct proceedings in New York and Washington.
During the latest court hearings, Giuliani's legal team emphasized his financial constraints, highlighting his inability to meet outstanding financial obligations. They also pointed out a cessation of support from Trump's political action committee, which initially allocated $400,000 this year to assist in maintaining his records as evidence for ongoing litigations.
Media sources reported Giuliani and his attorney's visit to Trump in Florida to solicit financial assistance regarding his legal fees. It was said that the former President consented to help, though verbally, but he fell short of disclosing a specific amount or timeline for such a promise.