Giuliani Ordered to Pay Over $1.36 Million in Unpaid Legal Fees
NEW YORK (AP) – A New York judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay $1.36 million in unpaid legal fees to attorney Bernard Costello and teh law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP,concluding a dispute stemming from legal work performed during multiple investigations involving the former new York City mayor. The ruling, issued Friday, underscores the mounting financial pressures facing Giuliani as he battles legal challenges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his broader legal portrayal.
Costello and the firm alleged Giuliani failed to fully compensate them for services rendered from November 2019 to July 2023, totaling $1.36 million despite receiving $214,000 in payments. The work included representation in an FBI examination into Giuliani’s Ukraine dealings, state and federal probes related to the 2020 election, and various civil lawsuits and disciplinary proceedings that ultimately led to his disbarment. Giuliani has denied wrongdoing in connection with the 2020 election challenges.
According to court documents, Giuliani’s last payment to Costello and the firm was $10,000 on September 14, 2023, shortly after a fundraiser hosted by Donald Trump at his Bedminster golf club. Costello, a former federal prosecutor, is now a lawyer for Nassau County, New York, having left Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP in September 2024.
Costello testified as a witness for Trump’s defense during the former president’s hush money criminal trial last year, where he clashed with the judge, Juan M. Merchan, over his courtroom demeanor.The judge reportedly found Costello’s behavior, including audible comments and eye-rolling, disruptive.
