Rudy Giuliani, Trump attorney and former Mayor of New York City, is being considered by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) for expulsion. The organization has received hundreds of complaints due to Giuliani’s numerous efforts leading up to the Capitol riots, including his comments at the now infamous rally where he joined Trump inciting the crowds.

A statement released by the NYSBA said, in part, ”Giuliani’s words quite clearly were intended to encourage Trump supporters unhappy with the election's outcome to take matters into their own hands.”

After reviewing the hundreds of complaints they received against Giuliani’s actions at the rally leading to the Capitol Hill riot, the NYSBA decided to initiate the “historic” inquiry. The association will also consider Giuliani’s numerous court appearances for Trump and in the media, where he repeatedly told lies about the president having the election stolen via a mass voting fraud conspiracy.

Despite 60 lawsuits alleging election fraud, not one was successful due to lack of evidence. Yet Giuliani continued to spout lies for months, contrary to the lack of any evidence in any significant vote tampering.

Considered the most incendiary words uttered by Giuliani at the D.C. rally, packed with Trump fans who quickly morphed into a violent mob, was his refrain about the presidential election being fraudulent and that the crowd should act.

"If we are wrong, we will be made fools of, but if we're right, a lot of them will go to jail. So let's have trial by combat,” said Giuliani as rally attendees cheered loudly.

The phrase “trial by combat” is from history, used in olden Germanic law, and refers to people settling their differences via armed combat. Within just minutes of his statement, the raucous crowd did exactly that: attacked Capitol Hill with guns, bats, other weapons, and bombs. The result included five people killed.

A week after the Capitol Hill deadly riot, in an anemic response to his incendiary “trial by combat” statement, Giuliani claimed he was making a reference to the TV show Game of Thrones.

This isn’t the first time Giuliani has come under fire for his legal practices. In 2019 then-vice presidential candidate (now vice president-elect) Senator Kamala Harris called for his disbarment. Due to Giuliani’s recorded Ukraine involvement in 2019, where Giuliani espoused false information linking Biden’s son to illegal activities, Harris asked the bar association "to investigate Giuliani and probably disbar him.”

If the NYSBA does expel Giuliani, however, he will still be able to practice law. For an attorney to be disbarred, they must be removed by a state court committee.

The NYSBA said they could not ignore Giuliani’s involvement in the January 6 deadly riots, plus the months-long lies to millions that the presidential race had been rigged. “We cannot stand idly by and allow those intent on rending the fabric of our democracy to go unchecked," the bar association said in a January 16 statement.

The NYSBA offered the scathing remarks about both Trump’s and Giuliani’s behavior after the president lost the election.

“Thankfully, Congress overcame this assault and fulfilled its constitutional responsibility in certifying the Biden-Harris victory. However, we must address the root cause of this abhorrent incident, the blame for which lies first and foremost with President Donald Trump.

“But the president did not act alone. Hours before the angry mob stormed the Capitol walls, Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, addressed a crowd of thousands at the White House, reiterating baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the presidential election and the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs,” said the statement.