Attorney Robert Costello and his lawfirm filed suit against indicted former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani on Monday over alleged unpaid legal bills.
The lawsuit claims Costello and his firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, are owed nearly $1.4 million by Giuliani for representation during criminal investigations brought by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Georgia, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and last year’s House Select Committee on the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
The plaintiffs also claim to have been involved in litigation regarding more than 10 lawsuits against the former Mayor of New York City in “various state and federal courts as well as participating in representing the Defendant in disciplinary proceedings regarding his law license in the District of Columbia” as well as in New York.
In a statement to CBS News, Giuliani slammed the lawsuit, saying he’s “hurt” by Costello’s actions.
“It’s a real shame when lawyers do things like this, and all I will say is that their bill is way in excess to anything approaching legitimate fees,” Giuliani said.
Costello responded in a text message to CBS, writing, “How can he take a personal affront when he owes my firm $1.4 million? For almost four years he received bills and never complained (and never paid).”
Giuliani is one of 19 co-defendants, including Trump, who were indicted on racketeering charges by a grand jury in Fulton County related to attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election. Giuliani is facing a dozen additional charges of soliciting lawmakers to violate their oaths of office, making false statements and conspiracy counts dealing with the recruitment of fake electors.
Costello led the effort to obtain local counsel before Giuliani testified in front of a special grand jury convened in Fulton County previous to the grand jury that handed up the indictment.
Less than three weeks ago, Giuliani also lost a defamation suit brought by Georgia poll workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, who alleged he defamed them amid his assertions of fraud during the 2020 election count. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who handed down that ruling in DC, also fined Giuliani and his businesses more than $132,000 for failing to hand over discovery to the poll workers’ legal team.
In August, Giuliani said in court that he was effectively out of cash and facing six figures’ worth of legal bills and sanctions after working for Trump.
The former President hosted a $100,000 per person fundraiser for Giuliani at the former President’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on September 7. The former mayor’s son, Andrew Giuliani, told reporters that the event raised “over $1 million,” but that the amount “won’t be enough to get through this.”
Giuliani’s New York City apartment is for sale. It’s currently listed by Sotheby’s for $6.5 million.
