According to lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani failed to appear at a pre-motion conference in the Southern District of New York following his refusal to respond to a subpoena.
The subpoena is part of a civil lawsuit filed by eight Capitol Police officers against former President Donald Trump and others, including Giuliani, over events related to the January 6 Capitol riot. The lawsuit, filed in December 2021 in Washington, D.C. federal court, accuses the defendants of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act.
As reported by The Independent, the plaintiffs' attorneys delivered the subpoena to Giuliani's doorman at his New York City residence on April 26, 2024. This action came after two unsuccessful attempts to serve Giuliani personally at his Florida home in October 2023 and March 2024.
The former mayor was required to respond or object to the subpoena by May 10, 2024. However, three months after the subpoena was delivered, the plaintiffs' lawyers stated they had not received any response from Giuliani. Due to his failure to meet the deadline, Giuliani can no longer raise objections to the subpoena.
The plaintiffs' legal team attempted to contact four lawyers representing Giuliani in other cases, but each indicated they would not represent him. This lack of response and representation gave the plaintiffs no choice but to pursue a motion to compel Giuliani's compliance.
On August 1, the plaintiffs' lawyers sent a letter to the judge in New York's Southern District Court, requesting a pre-motion conference regarding their intended motion to enforce Giuliani's subpoena. The judge subsequently ordered the conference to be held on August 20 at 10 am.
The lawsuit alleges that Trump, Giuliani, and other co-conspirators actively participated in spreading false claims of election fraud following the 2020 presidential election. The plaintiffs claim that this included filing baseless lawsuits challenging election results and supporting acts of violence.
According to the plaintiffs' lawyers, the subpoena seeks documents and communications related to the events surrounding the claims made in the suit against Trump. Additionally, they are requesting information that Giuliani shared with the January 6 House Select Committee. The lawyers argue that this information is crucial to their client's claims and can be obtained with minimal burden to Giuliani.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs stated:
With awareness of Defendant Trump's strategy to overturn the election results, Mr. Giuliani and other co-conspirators actively participated in spreading Trump's false claims of election fraud, including by filing baseless lawsuits challenging election results.
This latest legal battle adds to Giuliani's growing list of legal troubles related to his claims about the 2020 election. The former mayor is currently facing criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona concerning schemes to overturn Trump's election loss in those states. He is also listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal criminal case surrounding Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
In December, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay $148 million in damages for defaming two election workers in Georgia. His seven-month bankruptcy case was recently dismissed, resulting in a $400,000 administrative expense payment.
Additionally, Giuliani is facing defamation lawsuits from voting technology companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic. These legal challenges continue to mount as Giuliani grapples with the consequences of his actions following the 2020 election.
In conclusion, Rudy Giuliani's absence from the court conference and his failure to comply with the subpoena further complicate his already precarious legal situation. The ongoing civil suit by Capitol Police officers adds to the numerous legal challenges he faces related to his role in spreading false claims about the 2020 election. As the case progresses, it remains to be seen how Giuliani will respond to the mounting pressure from various legal fronts.
