'Can no longer be tolerated': Giuliani accountant sues him for unpaid bills

21 November 2023

A new lawsuit accuses ex-President Donald Trump former attorney Rudy Giuliani of stiffing an accounting firm he hired for his 2018 divorce proceedings, giving the former New York City mayor an additional financial headache as his legal woes continue to pile up.

The Daily Beast obtained and published a copy of the lawsuit, which was filed in New York Supreme Court on Monday. The suit alleges Giuliani hired the firm BST & Co. CPAs (BST) in April 2018 to assist in the valuation of his estate relating to "pending matrimonial action." According to the Beast, Giuliani's former accountants are asking for $10,000 for a retainer he never paid despite signing an agreement five years ago, and for an additional $15,000 in legal fees. That amount still falls short of what Giuliani allegedly owes the firm — the Beast reported that in 2019, BST racked up 42 hours of work combing through Giuliani's finances, and an invoice showed he owed more than $50,000 to the firm according to the hourly rates for accountants working on his case.

"As you know, our retainer agreement is very specific with respect to payment terms," an October 2021 letter read. "You are in breach of that agreement and, accordingly, we must again insist on immediate payment of the balance due."

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In a subsequent demand letter, the firm threatened to send Giuliani's unpaid debt to collections. However, the Beast reported that Giuliani ignored all written communications from the firm.

"It is not our desire to undertake such a distasteful course of action and we have been patient to this point, but your continued disregard of your obligation to this firm can no longer be tolerated," BST told Giuliani. "We thank you in advance for your immediate attention to this matter."

BST's lawsuit is merely the latest legal snafu for the former Trump attorney, who is already on the hook to pay damages relating to a defamation lawsuit Giuliani lost after a federal judge found him guilty of defaming two Georgia poll workers. The exact amount Giuliani will have to pay will be determined after a trial in early 2024. Giuliani is also in the midst of defending himself in his ongoing criminal trial in Fulton County District Court, where he could serve up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of violating Georgia's RICO statute.

In addition to allegedly stiffing BST, Giuliani also failed to make good on other agreements made in relation to his divorce from his longtime wife Judith Nathan. Art appraiser Miller Gaffney sued the former New York mayor for more than $15,000 in 2020 for services provided in assessing the couple's art and how to fairly split it.

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