NEW YORK >> Rudy Giuliani — the former mayor of New York, top federal prosecutor and a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump — has been disbarred from the practice of law effective immediately, a New York state appellate court ruled today.

The ruling continued the downfall of a disgraced lawyer who once portrayed himself as a crusader for law and order, challenged mob bosses and Wall Street operators and, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, became, for many, a national hero.

Giuliani, 80, has filed for bankruptcy, faces indictment in Arizona and Georgia in election cases and owes $148 million to two Georgia election workers stemming from a judgment in a defamation lawsuit.

The 31-page order disbarring Giuliani from practicing law in New York focused on his work as the personal lawyer for Trump and his 2020 presidential campaign. It said Giuliani was being disciplined for lies he told in numerous forums that were “designed to create distrust of the elective system of our country in the minds of the citizens and to destroy their confidence in the legitimacy of our government.”

“The seriousness of respondent’s misconduct cannot be overstated,” the court said, finding Giuliani had “flagrantly misused his prominent position as the personal attorney for former President Trump and his campaign.

“He baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country’s electoral process,” the court said, adding that in doing so, Giuliani had “not only deliberately violated some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession, but he also actively contributed to the national strife that has followed the 2020 presidential election, for which he is entirely unrepentant.”

Barry Kamins, a lawyer for Giuliani, said: “Mr. Giuliani is obviously disappointed in the decision. We are weighing our appellate options.”

The appellate court originally suspended Giuliani’s law license in 2021, following the recommendation of a disciplinary committee that found Giuliani, in steering Trump’s election challenges, had sought to mislead judges, lawmakers and the public.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.