Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, renowned for his leadership after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on his city, has been sued by a previous attorney for allegedly failing to make a timely payment.
Robert Costello and his law firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, filed the suit on Monday, claiming that Giuliani has only covered a small portion of the nearly $1.6 million in legal fees.
Costello claims the amount billed to Giuliani accrued from investigations related to his efforts to support Donald Trump’s presidency.
The firm alleges that Giuliani has paid a mere $214,000 of the total amount, leaving an outstanding balance of $1.36 million.
The last payment from Giuliani was $10,000 on September 14, shortly after a significant fundraiser for Giuliani, hosted by Trump at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, the law firm claimed.
The lawsuit asserts that Giuliani, who once held the title of “America’s mayor,” violated the terms of his retainer agreement by not settling invoices promptly and in full.
The legal action, initiated in a Manhattan state court, demands full payment of the outstanding amount, plus costs and fees incurred in their attempts to secure the payment.
Giuliani expressed disappointment when he learned of the legal action against him by his former legal representatives.
“I can’t express how personally hurt I am by what Bob Costello has done,” Giuliani said Monday in a statement.
“It’s a real shame when lawyers do things like this, and all I will say is that their bill is way in excess to anything approaching legitimate fees,” added Giuliani.
This lawsuit adds to the growing financial pressures on Giuliani, intensified by expensive investigations, legal actions, penalties and other costs associated with his role in assisting Trump’s challenge of the 2020 election results.
Last month, Giuliani, Trump and 17 others were indicted in Georgia by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Willis accused them of conspiring to undermine Joe Biden’s election victory. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty to the charges that claim he was a primary collaborator with Trump.
Costello served as Giuliani’s attorney from November 2019 to July 2023, according to a report from The Associated Press.
The report noted Costello represented Giuliani in an investigation of his business activities in Ukraine, which led to an FBI raid on Giuliani’s residence and office in April 2021.
The lawsuit by Costello and his firm also mentions their representation of Giuliani in several civil lawsuits and disciplinary actions that resulted in the suspension of his law licenses in Washington, D.C., and New York.
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