Prominent political figure, Rudy Giuliani, has found himself in hot water yet again. The former NYC mayor and personal attorney to former President Donald Trump has recently been hit with a federal tax lien by the IRS for unpaid income taxes totaling over half a million dollars. The lien was placed on Giuliani’s luxurious $4.5 million penthouse in Palm Beach, Florida, just three miles north of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
According to court documents filed in Palm Beach County, the IRS claims that Giuliani owes $549,435.26 in unpaid taxes for the year 2021. If the 79-year-old does not pay the owed amount, the IRS has the right to seize the profits from Giuliani’s condo if it were to be sold. The condo, which was bought for $1.4 million cash in 2010 by Giuliani and his then-wife Judith Nathan, is estimated to be worth around $4.5 million.
Giuliani’s financial troubles seem to be piling up, as this is not the first time he has faced issues with paying taxes. In 2019, he famously had to borrow $100,000 from a former law partner to pay his taxes. At the time, he blamed the delay on his divorce proceedings with Nathan.
However, Giuliani’s tax troubles may just be the tip of the iceberg. According to his biographer, he has spent his fortune recklessly, leaving him virtually penniless. Andrew Kirtzman, author of the book Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor, estimates Giuliani’s wealth to have been in the range of $100 million. Kirtzman claims that Giuliani squandered most of his money on lavish and extravagant spending, in addition to legal bills and two costly divorces.
To make matters worse, Giuliani is facing even more legal and financial problems. He is currently out on $150,000 bond after being arrested in Georgia, along with 17 other Republican officials, on 13 felony counts of racketeering charges. In September, his longtime friend and lawyer, Robert Costello, sued him over unpaid legal bills totaling $1.36 million. And in late August, Giuliani lost a defamation lawsuit filed by two Georgia election workers who he accused of manipulating ballots. The penalty phase of that case is expected to take place in 2024 and could result in millions of dollars in damages.
Despite this mounting legal and financial pressure, Giuliani continues to support his former client, Trump. In early September, Trump held a $100,000-a-plate fundraiser at his Bedminster Golf Club to help Giuliani pay for his legal bills related to his work to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Trump himself has also been facing legal troubles, with several ongoing investigations into his business dealings and taxes.
The American public watches in anticipation as the once-respected and praised ‘America’s Mayor’ falls from grace, facing numerous legal battles and financial troubles. Only time will tell how Giuliani’s story will unfold, but for now, it seems that his former status as a high-profile political figure is slipping away.