Rudy Giuliani sued by former lawyer, accused of failing to pay $1.36 million in legal bills

Rudy Giuliani’s erstwhile lawyer sued him Monday, alleging the ex-New York City politician has paid lone a fraction of astir $1.6 cardinal successful ineligible fees he’s racked up from investigations into his efforts to support Donald Trump successful the White House.

Robert Costello and his instrumentality firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, accidental Giuliani has paid them conscionable $214,000 and inactive has a $1.36 cardinal tab. Giuliani’s past payment, according to the lawsuit, was $10,000 connected Sept. 14 — astir a week aft Trump hosted a $100,000-a-plate fundraiser for Giuliani astatine his Bedminster, New Jersey, play club.

Costello and the steadfast accidental Giuliani, erstwhile celebrated arsenic “America’s mayor” for his enactment aft the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, breached his retainer statement by failing to wage invoices successful afloat successful a timely fashion. The lawsuit, filed successful authorities tribunal successful Manhattan, seeks afloat outgo of Giuliani’s unpaid bills, arsenic good arsenic costs and fees from their efforts to get him to wage up.

“I can’t explicit however personally wounded I americium by what Bob Costello has done,” Giuliani said Monday successful a connection provided by his spokesperson. “It’s a existent shame erstwhile lawyers bash things similar this, and each I volition accidental is that their measure is mode successful excess to thing approaching morganatic fees.”

The instrumentality firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, said Rudy Giuliani paid them conscionable $214,000 and inactive has a $1.36 cardinal tab.AP

Monday’s suit is the latest motion of Giuliani’s mounting fiscal strain, exacerbated by costly investigations, lawsuits, fines, sanctions and damages related to his enactment helping Trump try to overturn the 2020 election.

Giuliani, Trump and 17 others were indicted past period successful Georgia, accused by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of plotting to subvert Joe Biden’s predetermination win.

Giuliani has pleaded not blameworthy to charges alleging helium acted arsenic Trump’s main co-conspirator.

Rudy Giuliani was indicted past period successful Georgia, arsenic helium was accused by the Fulton County DA of plotting to subvert Joe Biden’s predetermination win.AP

Costello, a spouse astatine Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, was Giuliani’s lawyer from November 2019 to July 2023.

He represented Giuliani successful matters ranging from an probe into his concern dealings successful Ukraine, which resulted successful an FBI raid connected his location and bureau successful April 2021, to authorities and national probes of his enactment successful the aftermath of Trump’s 2020 predetermination loss.

Costello and his steadfast said successful their suit that they besides helped correspond Giuliani successful assorted civilian lawsuits filed against him and successful disciplinary proceedings that led to the suspension of his instrumentality licenses successful Washington, D.C., and New York.

Giuliani could beryllium connected the hook for a monolithic fiscal penalty after a justice held him liable past period successful a defamation suit brought by two Georgia predetermination workers who accidental helium falsely accused them of fraud. The justice has already ordered Giuliani and his businesses to wage much than $130,000 successful ineligible fees for the women.

Giuliani’s son, Andrew, said past week that the Bedminster fundraiser was expected to rise much than $1 cardinal for Giuliani’s ineligible bills and that Trump had committed to hosting a 2nd lawsuit astatine his Mar-a-Lago nine successful Palm Beach, Florida, aboriginal successful the autumn oregon aboriginal winter.