The Daily Fuckup

Rudy Giuliani was interim-suspended from practicing law in New York on June 24, 2021, after a state appellate court found there was enough evidence that his statements about the 2020 election were false and misleading. The order took effect immediately and was not a final disbarment or permanent sanction.

The Appellate Division, First Department said the suspension was warranted while disciplinary proceedings continued. The court’s action focused on Giuliani’s conduct as a lawyer, including statements he made in connection with efforts to challenge the election results, rather than on the election outcome itself.

Giuliani had become one of the most visible legal figures in Donald Trump’s post-election push. In that role, he repeatedly promoted claims of election fraud even as courts and election officials rejected them. The New York ruling did not resolve those fraud claims. It addressed whether Giuliani, as a licensed attorney, had crossed the line by making statements the court found unsupported and misleading.

The suspension meant Giuliani could not practice law in New York unless and until the court lifted the interim order. The disciplinary case remained open, with any final outcome left for later proceedings. The immediate consequence was simple: Giuliani was off the New York bar while the process ran its course.