A New York judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay more than $1.3 million to his former lawyers for unpaid legal fees related to his representation during a host of criminal probes tied to his work for President Trump. The case, presided over by Judge Arthur Engoron, is just the latest in a string of Giuliani's personal and professional setbacks, which include bankruptcy, disbarment, a costly divorce, and a recent back injury from a car accident, per the New York Times.
The legal dispute was brought by Robert J. Costello, a longtime ally and attorney to Giuliani, along with the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron. Costello's firm claims Giuliani left more than 85% of his legal bill unpaid, settling just $214,000 out of a roughly $1.57 million tab. The judge's ruling pointed out that Giuliani, when confronted about the outstanding amount, didn't contest the sum or mention missing invoices—he simply changed the subject.
With interest, Giuliani now will have to pay close to $1.6 million, as well as pony up for lawyer costs for Costello's firm as they tried to get their money out of the former New York City mayor, per the AP. Giuliani's camp is pushing back. His attorney, Gary Rosen, said they plan to appeal, arguing that Costello at one point offered to represent Giuliani for free and suggesting the judge was biased, given his role in Trump's recent civil fraud case, per the Times. Giuliani's spokesman echoed those criticisms, calling the decision partisan.
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Costello had represented Giuliani in several high-profile investigations, including those focused on the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, as well as in numerous lawsuits. The legal bills added up as Giuliani's financial fortunes dwindle—he's already settled a separate defamation suit with two Georgia election workers for an undisclosed amount, per Reuters.
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