- Net worth
- Unknown
- Crimes
- fake electors, obstruction, other
- Convicted of
- Preemptive pardon for potential federal charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election
- Original sentence
- N/A (preemptive pardon; no federal conviction)
- Time served
- N/A
Tia Dufour / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Background
Rudy Giuliani is a former mayor of New York City (1994–2001) who served as personal attorney to President Donald Trump. He became one of the most vocal advocates for Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud following the 2020 election.
The Case
Giuliani was never federally charged or convicted, but he received a preemptive federal pardon from President Trump in November 2025. The pardon was described as "full, complete, and unconditional" but was largely symbolic since presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes and Giuliani had no federal convictions.
Giuliani was a leading figure in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He spread baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud, pressured officials in multiple states to change election outcomes, and promoted false claims that undermined public confidence in the electoral system. He was disbarred from practicing law in New York and Washington, D.C., for making false statements designed to undermine confidence in the electoral system. He lost a $148 million defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, whose lives were upended by false conspiracy theories he promoted.
Giuliani faces state criminal charges in Georgia (13 felony counts including racketeering) and Arizona (charges related to a fake elector scheme) for his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. These state charges are not affected by the federal pardon. He was also described as an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal case brought against Trump, though federal charges were never filed against him.
The Pardon
On November 9, 2025, President Trump granted Giuliani a full pardon along with 76 other allies tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The pardon was issued preemptively, before any federal charges were filed. Government pardon attorney Ed Martin posted the signed proclamation on social media. The proclamation described efforts to prosecute those accused of aiding Trump's efforts to cling to power as "a grave national injustice perpetrated on the American people" and said the pardons were designed to continue "the process of national reconciliation."