Giuliani’s antics more fitting for Jerry Springer Show

Editor:

It’s called Rule 11.

Rudy Giuliani went to Court in Pennsylvania last week and said the things he has been saying on TV – voter fraud, dead people involved in a conspiracy, voting machine companies involved with one raided in a German City where is does not have an office and there was no raid, dead people voting (hello widows like “Mrs. James” who did vote), post-dated mail being counted, you name it and the whole television spiel came out. He was really over. Further than any Trump lawyer had gone.

But then the judge asked one simple question. “Are you alleging voter fraud?” It was a “Yes” or “No” question.

If Giuliani had said “Yes”, the judge would have required Mr. Giuliani to file papers saying that and both sides would have had to present their evidence to the court. It a simple thing to update papers to reflect updated facts.

But Giuliani, like every other lawyer for the Trump party when asked by a court, responded “No”. “No”, he was not alleging fraud. If he had said “Yes” under Rule 11 he would be swearing he had some credible evidence of fraud and a reasonable legal basis to believe fraud took place.  That sounds simple given all he has said on TV.

But Rule 11 requires that an attorney tell the court the truth. Lies bring fines, disqualification from certain types of cases, and can cost the liar their law license. It’s one thing to lie in a press conference, but you do not tell bold faced lies to a federal judge! They crush you for not having any reasonable factual or legal basis to make a claim. Parties lie, lawyers do not knowingly do so or permit it.

So when you hear the words “Fake News” just remember Rule 11 and see if that news was said in court or court papers.  (Also when you hear the words “News” check to be sure the NEWS paper or NEWS source (“commentators” are excepted ) has a compliance department and double sources everything it says and separates fact from conclusion.)

This was a clean election with an overwhelming margin of voters voting for change. Elections are democracy!

And when Giuliani gives a press conference with spray-on hair dye dripping down his face, know you are seeing the final throes of four years of political theater now degraded to compete with the Jerry Springer Show. Rule 11 trumped Trump……. The answer was “NO”.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion