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Trump’s Lawyer, Rudy Giuliani suspended in New York

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Trump's Lawyer, Rudy Giuliani suspended in New York

Houston TX-THE former personal lawyer to immediate past United States President Donald Trump who once held one of the legal profession’s most prestigious jobs, was suspended Thursday from practicing law in New York state by an appellate court that found he made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” about the 2020 election.

In a ruling released following disciplinary proceedings the court concluded that “there is uncontroverted evidence” that Giuliani, the former Manhattan US attorney, “communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed effort at reelection in 2020.”

READ: New York court's ruling stripping Rudy Giuliani's law license
Giuliani’s “conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law,” the court wrote.
The suspension of his law license marks a precipitous fall for the former New York City mayor, once considered an accomplished and formidable force in legal circles. In recent years, however, Giuliani’s reputation has suffered as he has come under criminal investigation by the office he used to lead, the Manhattan US attorney’s office, for possible illegal lobbying. He has denied wrongdoing.
Giuliani said later Thursday that he was “not very happy” with the court’s decision and argued that his comments were not a threat to the public.
“I made all those statements — not a single one of them led to a protest, a riot, an incident, an anything,” he said in an interview with Newsmax. “Obviously, those statements do not have the impact of creating danger.”
Giuliani’s lawyers, John Leventhal and Barry Kamins, said in a statement earlier Thursday that they’re “disappointed with the Appellate Division, First Department’s decision suspending Mayor Giuliani prior to being afforded a hearing on the issues that are alleged. This is unprecedented as we believe that our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest. We believe that once the issues are fully explored at a hearing Mr. Giuliani will be reinstated as a valued member of the legal profession that he has served so well in his many capacities for so many years.”
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said suspensions such as these are unusual.
“You’re a lawyer, your job is to zealously represent your client. A lot of times your client maybe has done wrong, but what you cannot do as a lawyer is just lie,” Honig said on CNN’s “At This Hour.” “This does not happen every day by any stretch. This is a very rare thing and a very extreme thing for the court to do.”

New emails show how Trump and his allies pressured Justice Department to try to challenge 2020 election results

Giuliani had been set to appear in court in DC on Thursday afternoon for proceedings in a defamation lawsuit from the vote management company Dominion Voting Systems, which is suing him and others for statements they made alleging election fraud. He didn’t attend the hearing.
In its ruling, the New York appellate court wrote of Giuliani that his “false statements were made to improperly bolster respondent’s narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client.”
The court said it relied on Giuliani’s statements at press conferences, state legislative hearings and on TV appearances, radio broadcasts and podcasts, as well as in one court appearance.
In certain cases, according to the court’s ruling, Giuliani acknowledged that the statements he made were untrue, but claimed he didn’t knowingly make a false statement. Regarding absentee ballots in Pennsylvania, for example, Giuliani “claims that he relied on some unidentified member of his ‘team’ who ‘inadvertently’ took the information from the Pennsylvania website, which had the information mistakenly listed,” the court wrote, citing Giuliani’s affidavit.
The court concluded, however: “There is simply no proof to support this explanation.”
In other cases, the court said Giuliani failed to provide any source at all for statements he made, such as assertions concerning the number of dead people he alleged voted in Georgia in the 2020 election, which he said at various times ranged from 800 to 6,000.
The court said it found an interim suspension to be necessary because Giuliani’s behavior demonstrated an “immediate threat to the public.”
Judge rebukes GOP for downplaying US Capitol riot as he hands out first sentence in insurrection
“We find that there is evidence of continuing misconduct, the underlying offense is incredibly serious, and the uncontroverted misconduct in itself will likely result in substantial permanent sanctions at the conclusion of these disciplinary proceedings,” the court wrote.
Ronald Minkoff, an attorney who frequently defends lawyers with cases before the Attorney Grievance Committee, which petitioned for Giuliani’s suspension, said the decision to give Giuliani an interim suspension so quickly is atypical.
“In a case this difficult, this is pretty quick turnaround, especially considering the amount of complaints they had to evaluate,” Minkoff said. “He still has the right to a hearing. But that will take some time before that happens. He’s got a long process ahead before he’ll be able to practice again.”
Minkoff represents attorneys who filed a complaint against Giuliani in January, two weeks after the insurrection.
“This is about the integrity of the bar, and that’s really the issue here. It’s really unfortunate that somebody of Rudy Giuliani’s stature should have this happen to them. But his actions and the evidence shows that his actions warranted this.”
Though Giuliani told the court that he would “exercise personal discipline” and refrain from making further statements about the election in his capacity as a lawyer, according to the ruling, the court found that he had continued to make false statements since the submission of the application for suspension of his license.
“The seriousness of respondent’s uncontroverted misconduct cannot be overstated,” the court concluded. “This country is being torn apart by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and of our current president, Joseph R. Biden. The hallmark of our democracy is predicated on free and fair elections. False statements intended to foment a loss of confidence in our elections and resulting loss of confidence in government generally damage the proper functioning of a free society.”
-CNN

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I Slept In Dangote Cement Factory,’ Says Akpabio As Senate Suspends Natasha

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Meet Sen Akpabio, 10th Senate President For National Assembly

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has revealed that he spent the night inside the Dangote Cement factory in Obajana, Kogi State, on the day of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s wedding due to poor lighting at the Kogi airport.

“I slept in Dangote Cement factory in Obajana, Kogi State, on the night of Senator Natasha’s wedding because the Kogi airport lights were in a poor state,” Akpabio stated during plenary at the National Assembly on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Senate Committee Dismisses Natasha’s Sexual Harassment Petition Against Akpabio

Akpabio, a former Minister of the Niger Delta, described Natasha’s husband as his “good friend” and emphasized that his presence at the wedding was a testament to his close relationship with the family.

Meanwhile, the Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months following the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

The committee found her guilty of “disrespecting the Senate” and directed that she must issue an apology.

As part of the suspension, the committee stated that her salary and security details would be withdrawn.

Additionally, the Kogi Central lawmaker has been barred from the National Assembly premises for the duration of the suspension.

Following the committee’s recommendations, the Senate adopted the resolution, and Senate President Akpabio officially announced her suspension.

 

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Tragic End: Abducted Catholic Priest Killed In Kaduna

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Residents Panic Over Gunmen Invasion In Abakaliki

A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, who was abducted from his residence on Tuesday night, has been killed by his captors in Kaduna State.

The Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan confirmed his death in a statement signed by its Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Jacob Shanet.

According to the statement, Fr. Okechukwu, who served as the pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Tachira, Kaura Local Government Area, was murdered in the early hours of Wednesday.

“After being taken by his abductors, we regret to inform you that Fr. Sylvester was cruelly killed in the early hours of Wednesday, March 5. It is yet to be determined why he was killed,” Shanet said.

READ ALSO: Gunmen Abduct Catholic Priest Along Enugu Road Despite Security Checkpoints

The Diocese described the late priest as a selfless and dedicated servant of God, whose sudden death has left the church and community in deep sorrow.

“This untimely and brutal loss has left us broken and devastated. He was always available and accessible to his parishioners. His untimely death has left an indelible void within our diocesan family, and we share in the pain of his passing with his family, friends, and all those who loved him,” the statement read.

Shanet urged the Takad community to remain calm and prayerful, warning against any form of retaliation.

He assured that funeral arrangements for the late priest would be communicated in due course.

 

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Kenya’s Edwin Koech Wins 2025 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon

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Photos: Kenyan Runner Edwin Kibet Wins 2023 Lagos City Marathon

Kenyan athlete Edwin Koech has emerged as the champion of the 2025 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, claiming victory in the men’s category with a record time of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

The win, secured on Saturday, marks his second title in the prestigious race after his triumph in 2023.

Koech takes home the $50,000 first-place prize, further cementing his dominance in the competition.

READ ALSO: Court Adjourns Ruling On Sowore’s Bail Application

The 10th edition of the marathon saw an impressive turnout, with 37,000 runners competing in both the 10km and 42km races.

Race General Manager and retired Nigerian long jumper Yusuf Ali confirmed the figure, explaining that it was based on the number of race kits distributed, out of more than 60,000 registered participants.

The 42km race commenced at 6:30 am from the National Stadium in Surulere, while the 10km race began at 9:30 am from Grace Garden Event Centre in Lekki. Both events concluded at Eko Atlantic City, the official finish line.

As the Lagos City Marathon celebrated its 10th anniversary, organisers reiterated their goal of securing a World Athletics platinum label, which would make it the first marathon in Africa to achieve the prestigious status.

Currently classified as a gold label race, the event has continued to attract elite athletes from across the globe.

In preparation for the race, the Lagos State Government announced an eight-hour road closure and traffic diversion, restricting movement along key routes from 5:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday.

Since its inception in 2016, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has grown into one of Africa’s premier road races, drawing international attention and fostering a strong culture of long-distance running in Nigeria.

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