Soon after Jan. 6, an associate of Rudy Giuliani attempted to get a message to then-President Donald Trump seeking a “general pardon” and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the lawyer who played a key role in attempts to overturn the 2020 election. This is according to an upcoming book by journalist Andrew Kirtzman, Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor, an advance copy of which was obtained by The New York Times.
Maria Ryan, Giuliani’s podcast co-host, allegedly sent a letter with the asks to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, hoping he would pass it along to the president. Regarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Ryan wrote, “Mr. Giuliani rarely asks for anything for himself. He is praying you present him with this on Friday, January 15 or Monday the 19.” She also requested a “general pardon” for Giuliani. According to the paper, the letter never reached the president because Bernard B. Kerik, a close Giuliani adviser, intervened.
Ryan additionally asked for back pay for legal services Giuliani provided Trump, sending Meadows a bill for $2.5 million. Trump has told aides, according to prior reporting by the Times, that Giuliani would only be compensated if his efforts to overturn the election were successful. Ryan also wanted to be paid $45,000 for services she claimed to have provided while “working in the campaign pursuing truth and justice for the president.”
Ryan’s letter was dated Jan. 10, 2021, just days after the Capitol attack. According to the book, Ryan wrote, “Dear Mr. President, I tried to call you yesterday to talk about business. The honorable Rudy Giuliani has worked 24/7 on the voter fraud issues. He has led a team of lawyers, data analysts and investigators.”
“He needs to be paid for his services,” she continued, adding, “As you know, he lost his job and income and more defending you during the Russia hoax investigation and then the impeachment pro bono.”
Giuliani, through his attorney, denied authorizing or asking Ryan to make these requests. “The mayor did not authorize or request the notes,” lawyer Robert J. Costello told the paper. “The mayor has been consistent that he never asked for a pardon and told President Trump that if he was offered a pardon, he would decline it because he didn’t do anything wrong.” Costello also said he is not aware of the communications from Ryan, “if they exist.”
This is not the first time Ryan asked for payment on Giuliani’s behalf. Last year, the Times reported that Ryan emailed Trump campaign officials in Nov. 2020 requesting Giuliani receive $20,000 per day for his work for Trump following the election. Giuliani said the ask came while he was out of town and that he had been unaware of it.
Giuliani faces a slew of legal troubles stemming from his actions around the 2020 election. He has been told that he is a “target” of a criminal investigation in Fulton County, Ga., and appeared before a grand jury last week. He is also being sued by companies that make voting machines, and New York state suspended his law license.