Rudy Giuliani’s former lawyer, Robert Costello, sued him Monday night in Manhattan state court for an estimated $1.36 million.
The lawsuit by Costello and his law firm stems from a dispute over legal fees related to Giuliani’s involvement in the 2020 presidential election. According to the complaint, Giuliani hired Costello and the firm in 2019 to represent him in various investigations, including those concerning his efforts to overturn the election results in favor of Donald Trump.
The complaint alleges that Giuliani agreed to pay a monthly retainer of $50,000, plus additional fees for specific services. However, the complaint claims that Giuliani has failed to pay the full amount of his invoices, despite receiving substantial financial support from Trump and his allies. The complaint seeks to recover the outstanding balance of $1.36 million, as well as interest and legal costs.
Costello and the law firm maintain “from on or about November 2019 through on or about July 2023” they offered legal services to Giuliani in the form of representing him while being investigating by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and during a investigation by the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Both parties also say Giuliani directed them to “supervise more than ten civil lawsuits filed” against him as well as “participating in representing the Defendant in disciplinary proceedings regarding his law license in the District of Columbia and the First Department of New York.”
They said that while the legal services given to him total $1,574,196.10, Giuliani has only paid $214,000.
They are now not only requesting the rest of the money owed to them but also any interest accrued since then and any that will accrue.
Giuliani has denied the allegations and accused Costello of overcharging him. He also expressed his disappointment and hurt by Costello’s actions, saying that he considered him a friend and a loyal lawyer. Giuliani claimed that he has paid more than $500,000 to Costello and the firm, and that he intends to contest the lawsuit vigorously.
Giuliani’s struggle to pay his legal fees became a topic of interest after he made a desperate plea to former President Donald Trump, whose own legal fees are mounting, to pay his bills.
