Rudy Giuliani is a well-known figure in the United States. He first became famous for serving as the Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. His leadership during and after the tragic 9/11 attacks in 2001 made him a well-recognised name across the country and in many parts of the world. At that time, many people saw him as a strong and confident leader who guided the city through one of the darkest moments in American history.
Before becoming mayor, Giuliani worked as a top federal prosecutor. He served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In that position, he became known for taking legal action against major criminal groups and high-profile business crimes.
Years later, Rudy Giuliani returned to public attention when he became the personal attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump. He advised Donald Trump during his presidency and became a key member of Trump’s inner circle. This brought Giuliani back into the national spotlight. After the 2020 presidential election, he played a very public role by appearing at press conferences, speaking to the media, and challenging the election results on Trump’s behalf.
What the New Lawsuit Against Rudy Giuliani Says
A woman named Noelle Dunphy has filed a detailed lawsuit against him in a New York state court. The lawsuit is 70 pages long and includes many accusations that place Giuliani under legal and media scrutiny.
Noelle Dunphy says she worked for Rudy Giuliani from January 2019 until January 2021. She says Giuliani promised her a job that would pay one million dollars per year. She also says he offered to provide legal help for her personal domestic abuse case. According to her, everything changed once she began working for him. She says Giuliani told her to keep her job a secret and did not pay her the salary he had promised. She claims that in two years, she received only around twelve thousand dollars, even though she was hired at a yearly salary of one million dollars. She says he still owes her one million nine hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars in unpaid wages.
In her complaint, Dunphy has accused Giuliani of sexual assault, harassment, and making racist, sexist, and antisemitic remarks. She says she has recordings of several conversations that show inappropriate behaviour. She claims the workplace environment was abusive and unprofessional. Dunphy also says she was asked to do work in uncomfortable and unsuitable conditions which caused emotional, mental, and financial stress. She says she was removed from her role in January 2021, after President Donald Trump left the White House.
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Because of all this, Dunphy is seeking ten million dollars in damages. This amount is meant to compensate for the emotional harm, professional damage, and unpaid salary she says she suffered.
Rudy Giuliani strongly denies every allegation in the lawsuit. His spokesperson, Ted Goodman, issued a written statement saying that the claims made by Noelle Dunphy are false. He said, “Mayor Rudy Giuliani unequivically denies the allegations raised by Ms. Dunphy. Mayor Giuliani’s lifetime of public service speaks for itself and he will pursue all available remedies and counterclaims.” This statement made it clear that Giuliani plans to fight the lawsuit and respond with legal action of his own.
Noelle Dunphy’s lawyer has said that although there is no audio recording of one important conversation mentioned in the lawsuit, they expect to provide proof in other ways. The lawsuit also states that another person, Lev Parnas, was present when one of the key conversations took place. Dunphy’s legal team has stated that they hope to speak with him about what he witnessed.
A representative of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign did not respond to questions about the lawsuit when asked for comment.
Why the “Pardons for Sale” Claim Is Making Headlines
One of the most shocking accusations in Noelle Dunphy’s lawsuit is related to United States presidential pardons. A presidential pardon is a special power that allows the President of the United States to forgive a person for a federal crime. Once a person is pardoned, they can no longer be punished for that crime. Pardons are meant to be handled through a proper legal channel known as the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
The lawsuit claims that Rudy Giuliani told Noelle Dunphy that he was selling presidential pardons for two million dollars each. It also says that Giuliani told her that the money would be shared between him and Donald Trump. Dunphy says he told her that she could refer people to him who wanted a pardon, but only if they avoided the official application process. According to the lawsuit, Giuliani wanted to avoid the official system because formal records of pardon requests can become public under the Freedom of Information Act, commonly known as FOIA.
The lawsuit does not state that any pardons were actually sold. It only states that Giuliani discussed the idea of selling them.
When Donald Trump was leaving the White House in January 2021, he granted seventy-four pardons and reduced the prison sentences of another seventy people. A commutation reduces a penalty but does not remove the conviction. There is no record of Rudy Giuliani himself receiving a pardon from Donald Trump, even though there were media discussions about whether he might request one.
Legal Proceedings and Investigations Involving Giuliani
This new lawsuit adds to a list of legal problems that have surrounded Rudy Giuliani in recent years. After the 2020 U.S. election, Giuliani repeatedly claimed that there had been voter fraud. Many of these claims were later proven false. In June 2021, Giuliani’s licence to practise law in New York was suspended after a court said he made “demonstrably false and misleading” statements about voter fraud. In December 2021, a legal committee in Washington, D.C., said that Giuliani misused his role as a lawyer and “weaponized his law license” while filing a lawsuit related to the election.
In 2023, Giuliani’s lawyers were told that he is a target of a criminal investigation in the state of Georgia. This investigation is looking into efforts made by Donald Trump and his team to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. That means investigators are examining whether a crime was committed in attempts to change or block the true election outcome.
Because of these legal situations, Rudy Giuliani continues to appear in the news. The new lawsuit filed by Noelle Dunphy adds more attention, as it includes sensitive and serious claims about abuse of power, mistreatment of an employee, unpaid wages, and the possible misuse of presidential influence.
The case will continue to go through the legal system, where both sides will present evidence and respond to the claims.