Rudy Giuliani, once celebrated as “America’s Mayor” and later the personal attorney to former President Donald Trump, has been ordered by a New York judge to pay over $1.36 million to his former defense lawyers. The ruling is the latest blow to Giuliani, who has faced mounting legal troubles, professional disbarment, and massive financial liability in recent years.
The case centers on Giuliani’s unpaid legal bills to Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, a New York law firm that represented him during some of the most legally challenging years of his post-mayoral career. According to the complaint filed by the firm in 2023, Giuliani racked up nearly $1.6 million in legal fees for services provided between November 2019 and July 2023. Despite repeated requests for payment, Giuliani paid only about $214,000, leaving more than $1.36 million outstanding.
The law firm’s representation of Giuliani was extensive, covering multiple investigations and lawsuits. This included federal and state inquiries into his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, probes into his business dealings in Ukraine, and congressional investigations related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Giuliani’s legal defense during this period was complex and wide-ranging, requiring hundreds of hours of attorney work, court appearances, and strategic planning.
Giuliani contested the lawsuit, arguing that he had a retainer agreement only with Robert Costello, a partner at the firm, and not with the firm as a whole. He further claimed that the firm charged excessive hourly rates and failed to provide regular monthly billing statements. His legal team sought to reduce the amount owed, but the court rejected these arguments, finding that Giuliani had received the benefit of the firm’s legal services and was obligated to pay for them in full.
The judgment adds to Giuliani’s growing list of legal and financial challenges. He has already been disbarred in both New York and Washington, D.C., for making false statements about election fraud after the 2020 election. His law license revocations mark a dramatic fall for the former federal prosecutor who once made a name for himself taking down the mafia and leading New York City through the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
Giuliani also recently settled with two Georgia election workers who had won a $148 million defamation verdict against him after he spread conspiracy theories falsely accusing them of manipulating votes. Although the settlement amount was not disclosed, the judgment had threatened to financially devastate Giuliani.
Compounding his problems, Giuliani is still facing criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona related to his alleged participation in schemes to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In addition, Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Giuliani, alleging he spread false claims about their voting machines as part of a coordinated effort to delegitimize the election outcome.
Legal experts say that this latest ruling could have serious financial implications for Giuliani, who has already publicly acknowledged that he is struggling with legal bills. In 2023, reports surfaced that Giuliani turned to friends and political allies for fundraising help, including a $100,000-a-plate dinner hosted by Donald Trump at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.
For Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, the judgment is a major win and a message that law firms can and will hold even the most prominent clients accountable for unpaid bills. The firm issued no immediate comment after the ruling, but its lawsuit had previously emphasized that it had worked diligently on Giuliani’s behalf through multiple overlapping investigations and legal crises.
Giuliani’s camp has not publicly stated whether he plans to appeal the ruling, but such a move could further prolong the legal fight and increase the amount he ultimately owes through interest and additional legal costs.
This case is yet another example of the cascading legal and financial consequences that have followed Giuliani since his decision to take on a central role in Donald Trump’s post-election legal team. What began as a high-profile effort to contest the election results has now left Giuliani facing criminal indictments, civil judgments, professional ruin, and significant debt.
For lawyers and law firms, this ruling underscores the importance of clear retainer agreements, timely billing, and the willingness to pursue unpaid fees through litigation if necessary. For Giuliani, it represents yet another legal and financial setback at a time when he is already embattled on multiple fronts.
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