Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for former President Donald Trump during challenges to the 2020 election results, exits U.S. District Court after attending a hearing in a defamation suit brought against Giuliani by two Georgia election workers, in Washington, D.C., May 19, 2023.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, is turning to former President Donald Trump to raise money for a political action committee meant to help pay for his father’s growing legal fees.
The Giuliani Defense PAC is having one of its first fundraising events in September at Trump’s New Jersey golf course, with the former president as a featured guest, according to the invitation, which was obtained by CNBC.
Donors are being asked to give $100,000 each to the PAC to take part in the event.
Rudy Giuliani was indicted in Georgia along with Trump and 17 other defendants on charges of election interference. Trump’s allies have seen virtually no help so far from the former president’s political operations to pay for legal fees in the cases.
The event on Sept. 7 will feature a roundtable discussion with Trump and Rudy Giuliani, followed by a dinner with Rudy Giuliani, according to the invitation.
A person familiar with the event told CNBC that it is expected to have at least a dozen guests and raise close to $1 million. This person declined to be named in order to speak freely about private efforts to help Rudy Giuliani.
Andrew Giuliani, a former New York Republican gubernatorial candidate, told CNBC in a statement: “It is helpful that President Trump has agreed to headline two events, one on September 7 at Bedminster and another this winter at Mar-a-Lago, where we are getting strong donor interest.” He declined to comment further.
“Cottage & golf opportunities” are also available for donors at the September New Jersey event, according to the invitation.
Trump’s properties could benefit financially from the two fundraising events. Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign spent over $53,000 to use a Trump golf course in Florida for event space, according to data from the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.
Andrew Giuliani is named on the invitation as the point of contact for anyone interested in taking part in the September event. He is also labeled on Federal Election Commission records as the designated agent for the PAC.
Robert Kiger, who was the treasurer for Andrew Giuliani’s failed gubernatorial campaign, is also the treasurer for the Giuliani Defense PAC, according to FEC filings. Kiger signed the PAC’s registration form on Aug. 4. The PAC is considered a hybrid committee, which can effectively act as a super PAC and has no cap on how much a donor can give, according to OpenSecrets.
Rudy Giuliani’s own attorneys conceded in a recent court filing that he is struggling to pay his legal fees.
“He is having financial difficulties,” the attorneys said in the filing. “Giuliani needs more time to pay the attorneys’ fees and would like the opportunity to seek an extension from the Court.”
