The law firm that represented Rudy Giuliani sued him for $1.4 million in unpaid fees racked up over the course of various law suits and investigations the former New York City mayor has faced even as he has claimed to be close to broke.
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP billed Giuliani for $1.57 million, but he has only paid $214,000, the firm said in a complaint filed Monday in New York state court. Giuliani has broken the retainer agreement he signed with the firm, according to the filing. His last payment was made Sept. 14 for $10,000.
Giuliani faces a slew of civil and criminal complaints, most stemming from his efforts to keep former President Donald Trump in office after he lost the 2020 election. Davidoff Hutcher & Citron said it represented Giuliani from November 2019 to July in cases that included a criminal investigation in New York, another in Fulton County, Georgia, and more than 10 civil lawsuits.
A Giuliani spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a texted request for comment.
Last month Giuliani was found liable for defaming two 2020 Georgia election workers with false voter fraud conspiracies. The judge in the case gave Giuliani until Sept. 20 to give the plaintiffs an array of financial information, including income, tax returns, net worth, bank statements, and divorce settlement records. A trial is to be held on how much Giuliani has to pay the workers in damages.
Giuliani also pointed to his financial difficulties that have prevented him from paying the plaintiffs’ attorney fees in that case in Washington, but the judge cited a news report that he’d flown on a private plane to Atlanta to surrender on the state charges there.
Giuliani agreed to post a $150,000 bond in Georgia, where he, Trump and 17 others were indicted for violating state racketeering laws with their efforts to keep Trump in office.
Giuliani has complained he doesn’t have the money to defend himself in all the cases and earlier this month Trump hosted a $100,000 per person fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to help the former mayor pay his legal bills.
The former mayor put his three-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side up for sale for $6.5 million in July.
Giuliani’s law license has been suspended in New York and he’s also facing disbarment proceedings in Washington over his post-election activities.
The case is Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP v. Giuliani, Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York (Manhattan).
