Giuliani Declares “I’m the Same Rudy Giuliani That Took Down the Mafia” Before Facing RICO Charge in Georgia

By Bess Levin

As you’ve probably heard by now, things are not going swimmingly for one Rudy Giuliani. Already in a load of legal trouble stemming from his attempt to overturn the 2020 election on behalf of Donald Trump, the former mayor of New York City was criminally charged last week by the Fulton County district attorney’s office for his plot to overturn the results of the election in Georgia—and if convicted on just the racketeering count alone, he could go away for 5 to 20 years. On top of that, he’s also facing defamation lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems, Smartmatic, and two election workers, and on top of that, he is in such a bad way financially that he can’t pay his bills, per his attorney. And while Trump has reportedly refused to open his own checkbook to help out a guy who—let’s be honest—destroyed what little reputation he had left to try and steal him a second term, the ex-president has apparently decided to throw Giuliani a small-to-medium-size bone.

That bone has come in the form of a $100,000-per-plate fundraiser at Trump’s Bedminster golf course “in support of” Giuliani, which will take place on September 7. According to the invite, Trump will be present for a “roundtable” with the former mayor, and then he’ll take off before dinner.

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It’s not clear why Trump has suddenly decided to sort of step up to the plate to help out his friend/alleged coconspirator, though one possible explanation is that he’s trying to ensure Giuliani doesn’t flip on him, which an attorney who specializes in white-collar crime suggested this week was an outcome Trump was risking by leaving the 18 people also charged in Fulton County high and dry re: legal bills.

On Wednesday, the former mayor flew to Georgia to surrender to authorities and face charges brought by Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis. There, he was booked and had his mugshot taken:

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And while, as of yesterday evening, Giuliani was reportedly still struggling to find a lawyer necessary to negotiate his surrender, he was apparently feeling pretty good about his situation Wednesday morning, telling reporters, “I’m feeling very, very good about it.”

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Then he delivered a long speech that (1) appeared to reference the many stories that have been written over the last several years about how far he’s fallen (2) highlighted the work he did in—checks notes—the 1990s (3) falsely claimed that Trump had been “proven innocent several times,” and (4) repeated Trump’s go-to line about how Americans should be worried that they too could one day be charged for trying to overturn a federal election.

By Eric Lutz

By Erin Vanderhoof

By Susan Casey

“People like to say I’m different,” Giuliani told reporters. “I’m the same Rudy Giuliani that took down the Mafia, that made New York City the safest city in America, reduced crime more than any mayor in the history of any city anywhere. And I’m fighting for justice—I have been from the first moment I represented Donald Trump, an innocent man who has now been proven innocent several times. I don’t know how many times he has to be proven innocent and they have to be proven to be liars—actually, enemies of our Republic who are destroying rights, sacred rights. They’re destroying my right to counsel, my right to be a lawyer. They’re destroying his right to counsel. It’s not accidental that they’ve indicted all the lawyers. Never heard of that before in America, all the lawyers indicted. Now, whether you dislike or you like Donald Trump, let me give you a warning: They’re gonna come for you. When the political winds shift, as they always do, let us pray that Republicans are more honest, more trustworthy, and more American than these people in charge of this government. Because if our government is conducted this way, and the system of justice is politicized and criminalized for politics, your rights are in jeopardy and your children’s. Donald Trump told you this. They weren’t just coming for him or me. Now they’ve indicted people in this case, I don’t even know who they are. These are just regular people making a normal living.”

Last week, after Giuliani was indicted, attorneys who’d previously represented mob-ed up individuals reported that their clients were “thrilled” to see the ex-mayor get hit with a racketeering charge.

The Fulton County mug shots are coming, starting with John Eastman

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Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to audition to be Trump’s VP

By Eric Lutz

By Erin Vanderhoof

By Susan Casey

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