Rudy Giuliani: America's Mayor turned election denier caught by mafia laws

Rudy Giuliani, once known as "America's Mayor," faces 13 felony charges related to an alleged plot to subvert the 2020 presidential election.

In the 1980s, Rudy Giuliani made a name for himself as a fearless prosecutor who utilized racketeering laws to take down Mafia bosses. These laws were instrumental in dismantling the leadership of New York's infamous "Five Families," the Italian-American mafia that controlled organized crime in the city. However, Giuliani now finds himself in a fight for his own freedom, caught in the very legal strategy he once pioneered.

This marks a significant downfall for the man who was once hailed as "America's Mayor," a tough-on-crime Republican who guided New York through its darkest days following the September 11 attacks. Now, prosecutors in Georgia have charged Giuliani with 13 felonies related to an alleged illegal plot to undermine the 2020 presidential election, alongside his longtime associate and former client, Donald Trump. At 79 years old, Giuliani faces the possibility of spending years behind bars.

Giuliani maintains his innocence and believes these charges are part of a larger conspiracy to frame President Donald Trump and anyone who challenges the current ruling regime. However, there is no denying that this chapter represents the lowest point in Giuliani's long and tragic descent from national hero to a figure of public ridicule.

Throughout the years, Giuliani has become one of Trump's most vocal defenders, particularly during the former president's post-election efforts to retain power through baseless claims of voter fraud. These efforts often veered into absurdity, such as a press conference held outside a landscaping business next to a crematorium and a sex shop. Giuliani and his allies made sweeping allegations of voter fraud without any substantial evidence, all while his hair dye streamed down his face.

The charges against Giuliani were brought forth by Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis under the state's Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Practices (RICO) statute. Willis, like Giuliani four decades ago, has shown innovation in her use of RICO laws. She has accused Trump, Giuliani, and 17 other defendants of participating in a "criminal enterprise" to invalidate legal votes. By utilizing RICO laws, Willis has the ability to tie together various crimes into a single racketeering charge.

Ironically, this is a tactic that Giuliani himself perfected when he took down the leadership of the "Five Families" during his time as the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. He used similar language to accuse the bosses of these crime families of essentially acting as a "board of directors" for the New York mob. Just last month, Giuliani's spokesperson praised his effective use of racketeering laws in dismantling the Mafia and cleaning up New York City.

Giuliani's political trajectory took a turn in 2008 with a failed bid for the White House. It was Trump who brought him back into the forefront of Republican politics when he hired Giuliani as his lawyer. Giuliani became a constant presence on television, defending Trump during the investigation into Russian election interference. However, amidst personal turmoil, Giuliani made self-incriminating statements that contradicted Trump's denials regarding hush money payments to a porn star and his pursuit of a business deal in Moscow before the 2016 election.

Ultimately, it was Giuliani's involvement in efforts to undermine the 2020 election that landed him in the crosshairs of prosecutors. His law license was suspended in New York due to his false claims of a stolen election, and he may face disbarment in Washington. Giuliani seemed to be aware of the risks associated with aligning himself so closely with Trump, stating in a 2019 interview, "I am afraid it will be on my gravestone. 'Rudy Giuliani: He lied for Trump.' If it is, so what do I care? I'll be dead. I figure I can explain it to St. Peter."