Government

Trump Stiffs Rudy For All His Amazing Legal Services

Least surprising news of 2021.

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(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Well, this is a shock! The Washington Post reports that Trump has finally turned on his trusty attorney Rudy Giuliani and plans to stiff him on the fee to boot.

Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, two officials said, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states. They said Trump has privately expressed concern with some of Giuliani’s moves and did not appreciate a demand from Giuliani for $20,000 a day in fees for his work attempting to overturn the election.

It’s a lot to take in, but it appears that the guy who was sued hundred of times for non-payment, including by his own lawyers in Virginia, Florida, New Jersey, and New York, isn’t going to pony up.

The New York Times, which first broke the news that Giuliani had demanded $20,000 per day from the Trump campaign for whatever it was that he was doing for the president, confirms that Rudy is persona non grata at the White House, with officials blocking his calls.

“President Trump is very busy working from early in the morning until late in the evening. He makes many calls and has many meetings. He’ll get back to you, never,” they say. Allegedly.

Perhaps, after more than five dozen losses in court, the president has come to the belated realization that the madcap legal scheme mounted by his longtime friend left something to be desired. Apparently the “Elite Strike Force” strategy of Four Seasons Total Landscaping + “Normal Scrutiny” + Hugo Chávez + “Oh my God, Rudy is leaking!” was unequal to the challenge of overturning an election.

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But Rudy may yet get his fee, since Trump’s second impeachment trial looms on the horizon and the line of lawyers vying to defend the soon-to-be-ex-president isn’t exactly wrapped around Pennsylvania Avenue. Fearful for their reputations, white shoe firms were backing away even before last week’s Capitol Riot. Jay Sekulow, Pat Cipollone, and Jane Raskin represented Trump in the last impeachment, but NPR says they’re out for this round. Ditto for Pam Bondi, Eric Herschmann, Pat Philbin and Marc Kasowitz. Even Alan Dershowitz plans to be busy washing his hair, although he told Bloomberg that Trump’s got an airtight First Amendment defense.

According to Bloomberg, “Trump has also made it harder for himself by suggesting Rudy Giuliani should be involved, but the controversial former New York mayor is unlikely to be on the president’s defense team, an administration official said. Giuliani is seen by lawyers as a toxic force and his conduct at the rally preceding the Capitol raid could be examined during an impeachment trial.”

But at the end of the day, who else is there to call when you need someone to light himself on fire defending the indefensible? You can only get so far with Jim Jordan and Elise Stefanik. So saddle up, Mister Mayor. Your spotlight awaits!

Trump is isolated and angry at aides for failing to defend him as he is impeached again [WaPo]
Trump Struggles to Find Lawyers as Impeachment Trial Nears [Bloomberg]

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Elizabeth Dye lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.

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