New York Bar Association launches probe to expel Giuliani

January 11, 2021 ☼ wingersvotinggiulianijan6couprebellion

Source: POLITICO - Link

The New York State Bar Association is launching an inquiry into expelling Rudy Giuliani from its membership over his role in inciting the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week.

The Bar Association said Monday it has received hundreds of complaints about Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney and the former mayor of New York City. Its president, Scott Karson, “has launched an inquiry pursuant to the Association’s bylaws to determine whether Mr. Giuliani should be removed from the membership rolls of the Association,” the group said in a statement.

The Bar Association cites Giuliani’s speech to a group of thousands of Trump supporters outside the White House before they headed for the Capitol, where he repeated baseless claims that election fraud is to blame for Trump’s loss.

“If we’re wrong, we will be made fools of, but if we’re right a lot of them will go to jail,” Giuliani, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, said. “Let’s have trial by combat.”

The bylaws of the Bar Association prevent membership for anyone who advocates the overthrow of the United States government or of any state or locality by force or illegal means. Expulsion from the association would not affect Giuliani’s ability to practice law in the state.

“Mr. Giuliani’s words quite clearly were intended to encourage Trump supporters unhappy with the election’s outcome to take matters into their own hands,” the association said in its statement. “Their subsequent attack on the Capitol was nothing short of an attempted coup, intended to prevent the peaceful transition of power.”