Ethics board recommends Rudy Giuliani be disbarred for ‘destructive’ attempts to undermine 2020 results

A disciplinary committee in Washington DC has recommended Rudy Giuliani be disbarred in the nation’s capital for his spurious efforts to overturn the results for the 2020 presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump.

Mr Giuliani had “no factual basis, and consequently no legitimate legal grounds” to challenge the results of the election in states that Mr Trump lost, while his “frivolous” pursuit to undermine the outcome and disenfranchise voters “seriously undermined the administration of justice,” according to the committee’s report.

“He claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence of it,” the committee wrote on 7 July. “By prosecuting that destructive case Mr Giuliani, a sworn officer of the Court, forfeited his right to practice law. He should be disbarred.”

The preliminary report from a committee with the DC Bar Association, which follows a misconduct hearing in December, is not final; his case will be considered by DC’s Board on Professional Responsibility and by the DC court of appeals.

Mr Giuliani – who repeatedly and baselessly asserted that the election was fraudulent while pushing lawsuits to subvert the outcome in states that Mr Trump lost – is facing other professional sanctions, investigations and lawsuits tied to his efforts to overturn election results and sow doubt about the outcome of the 2020 election.

His law license was suspended in New York in 2021 for “demonstrably false and misleading statements” surrounding the election.

Voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems also filed defamation lawsuits against Mr Giuliani as well as Trump-allied attorney Sidney Powell, conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell and Fox News for amplifying false claims that the company argues have severely damaged its reputation, compromised integrity in US elections and fuelled harassment and death threats against its employees.

Mr Giuliani also is wrapped up in a lawsuit filed by Georgia election workers who have accused right-wing conspiracy theorists of fuelling threats against them.

This is a developing story