STARTS, RIGHT NOW.
GOOD EVENING FROM NEW YORK.
I'M CHRIS HAYES.
A DONALD TRUMP AND HIS 18
CODEFENDANTS IN THAT RICO
INDICTMENT MUST TURN THEMSELVES
IN AT THE FULTON COUNTY JAIL IN
ATLANTA GEORGIA WITHIN NINE
DAYS.
THERE THEY WILL BE BOOKED,
PROCESSED, AND MUGSHOT TAKEN
AHEAD OF THE ARRAIGNMENTS WHICH
DISTRICT ATTORNEY FANI WILLIS
WANTS TO TAKE PLACE THE FIRST
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.
TODAY WILLIS ALSO PROPOSED A
TRIAL DATE FOR THIS CASE IN THE
EFFORTS TO OVERTURN THE 2020
ELECTION IN GEORGIA AND
ELSEWHERE.
SHE REQUESTED BEGIN ON MARCH
4TH OF NEXT YEAR.
THAT IS THE DAY BEFORE SUPER
TUESDAY.
NOW OF COURSE THERE IS ONE NAME
THAT STANDS OUT ABOVE ALL THE
OTHERS IN THIS SWEEPING TRUMP,
IT LISTED FIRST, LONG TRUMP,
BUT THE SECOND MOST WELL-KNOWN
NAME HERE IS OF COURSE RUDOLPH
WILLIAM LUIS GIULIANI.
WE'VE BEEN EXPECTING THIS FOR
QUITE SOME TIME.
WE'VE BEEN EXPECTING TO SEE
RUDY GIULIANI'S NAME ON THIS
INDICTMENT EVER SINCE
PROSECUTORS IN WILLIS'S OFFICE
INFORMED GIULIANI HE WAS A
TARGET OF THE INVESTIGATION.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
BUT IT IS STILL A REMARKABLE
FALL FROM GRACE FOR A MAN WHO
WAS ONCE A PRETTY WIDELY
RENOWNED PUBLIC FIGURE.
GIULIANI ROSE TO NATIONAL
PROMINENCE AS THE STAR UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY FOR THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,
A GOP HELD FROM 1883 TO 1989.
THERE HE OVERSAW THE
PROSECUTIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE
MOB, CORRUPT GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS, EARNED A TOUGH ON
CRIME REPUTATION, WHICH ARE
USED TO LAUNCH'S POLITICAL
CAREER.
AFTER GIULIANI BECAME MAYOR OF
NEW YORK IN 1983, HE HAS
TOTALLY CULTIVATED THE IMAGE AS
THE MAN SINGLE-HANDEDLY
RESPONSIBLE, JUST HIM, FOR
CLEANING UP THE CITY AND
BRINGING LAW AND ORDER.
THEN IN THE WAKE OF SEPTEMBER
11TH, HE WAS AMERICA'S MAYOR.
RUDY WAS A FRONT RUNNER FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL
NOMINATION IN 2008, THOUGH THAT
DIDN'T GO THAT WELL.
AND NOW HERE, IN 2023, AT 79
YEARS OLD, RUDY GIULIANI HAS
BEEN INDICTED FOR HIS ROLE AND
WHAT PROSECUTORS CALL A
CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.
HE IS AN ALLEGED RACKETEER, THE
ONE-TIME FUTURE PRESIDENT TO
DISGRACED LAUGHING STOCK.
IN RECENT YEARS, HE HAS BEEN
BEST KNOWN FOR A SERIES OF HAT
COMICAL, HAVE VILLAINOUS
ESCAPADES, LIKE PRESENTING
LUDICROUS CLAIMS OF VOTER FRAUD
IN FRONT OF THE FOUR SEASONS
TOTAL LANDSCAPING.
AND ANOTHER PRESS CONFERENCE A
FEW WEEKS LATER WITH HAIR DAY
TRICKLING DOWN HIS SWEAT
STREAKED FAITH.
HE IS AWFUL AND OFTEN
UNREADABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH
THE SUBORDINATE ARE ALL OVER
THE INTERNET WITH A REALLY
UNSETTLING SEXUAL HARASSMENT
LAWSUIT.
EVEN A PUNCHLINE IN A BORAT
MOVIE IN THE FINAL CHAPTER OF
HIS LIFE, RUDY GIULIANI IS THE
ARP OBJECT OF RIDICULE AND
SCORN.
HE IS REPUTATIONALLY AND
FINANCIALLY NEAR BANKRUPTCY.
HE IS LOOKING AT THE
POSSIBILITY OF LIVING THE REST
OF HIS DAYS ON THIS EARTH IN
PRISON.
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
HOW DID THE ONCE CLEANERS A
WHISTLE CRIME FIGHTER, THE LAW
AND ORDER, MAN THE AMERICAS
MAYOR WHO LED US THROUGH SUCH
DARK MOMENTS, HOW DID HE END UP
LIKE THIS?
WHAT HAPPENED TO RUDY?
YOU HEAR THAT A LOT.
I WILL SUBMIT IF WE TAKE A
CLOSE ALL LOOK THERE IS A CASE
TO BE MADE, RUDY HAS BEEN THIS
VERDIE VERSION OF RUDY THE
WHOLE TIME, OR LEAST HAD IT IN
HIM.
IN FACT RUDY HIMSELF MADE A
REVEALING STATEMENT TO THAT
EFFECT LAST NIGHT WHEN HE
EMERGED FROM HIS SHAME BUNKER
TO ADDRESS THE INDICTMENT.
>> THIS IS A RIDICULOUS
APPLICATION OF THE RACKETEERING
STATUTE, AND THERE'S PROBABLY
NO ONE KNOWS IT BETTER THAN I
DO.
PROBABLY SOME THAT KNOW IT AS
WELL.
I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO USE IT
IN WHITE COLLAR CASES.
BUT IN MAJOR CASES LIKE THE
BOESKY CASE, IN THE MILKEN CASE,
THIS IS NOT MEANT FOR ELECTION
DISPUTES.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS, WHAT SHE'S
DOING.
>> RUDY IS CORRECT.
HE REALLY DID PIONEER THE USE
OF RACKETEERING LAWS, OFTEN
SHORTHANDED AS RICO, TO GO
AFTER WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS.
IT WAS AN INNOVATION OF HIS,
LIKE MICHAEL MILKEN, AS HE
MENTIONED.
HE BROUGHT RICO CHARGES AGAINST
A MOB, THE FIVE FAMILIES IN NEW
YORK, HELPING TO BRING DOWN
ORGANIZED CRIME IN NEW YORK.
ACCORDING TO NEW REPORTING FOR
THE MESSENGER, WISEGUYS ARE
REJOICING IN THE WAKE OF
GIULIANI'S OWN RICO INDICTMENT.
VETERAN MOB LAWYER SAYS HIS
CLIENT ARE, QUOTE, EFFING
THRILLED.
GIULIANI ALSO USED ILLEGAL LAWS
TO GO AFTER CORRUPTION IN
POLITICS.
ONE OF THE WAYS HE KICK-STARTED
HIS OWN ELECTORAL CAREER IN THE
CITY OF NEW YORK WAS TURNING
HIS OFFICE, U.S. ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE, ATTENTION TO THE
DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL MACHINE OF
THE CITY, WHICH HE WAS, OF
COURSE, GOING TO RUN AGAINST,
IN THE RACE FOR MAYOR.
IN 1996, HE TOOK DOWN STANLEY
FRIEDMAN ON RACKETEERING
CHARGES.
THAT WAS A DEMOCRAT FROM THE
BRONX, ONE OF NEW YORK'S MOST
POWERFUL POLITICAL FIGURES, AS
THE NEW YORK TIMES POINTED AT
THE TIME.
BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, RUDY USED
RICO AL-ASSAD AGAINST HIS
POLITICAL ENEMIES, INCLUDING
THE MAN WHOSE JOB HE WON.
DEMOCRATIC LAWYER AND CATCH.
>> THE RICO STATUTE, I WAS THE
FIRST ONE TO USE THE
RACKETEERING STATUTE FOR A
PUBLIC CORRUPTION.
I DID IT AGAINST MOST OF AIRED
CAUTIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
[LAUGHTER]
WELL, ED WASN'T PAYING
ATTENTION WHILE THEY WERE
STEALING MILLIONS.
>> THINK ABOUT THIS.
THE U.S. ATTORNEY THAT WANTS
POLITICAL OFFICE IN THE CITY
PROSECUTING THE OPPOSING PARTY,
USING THE POWER TO DO THAT.
YOU MIGHT CHARITABLY CALL THAT
WEAPONIZING THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT FOR HIS OWN
POLITICAL ENDS.
GIULIANI LOST HIS FIRST RACE
BUT HE SUCCEEDED THE SECOND
TIME AROUND, AFTER EMBRACING
SOME OF THE UGLIEST MOST
DEMAGOGIC REJECT RACES POLITICS
THAT TRUMP WOULD LATER MINOR TO
GREAT EFFECT.
IN SEPTEMBER 1993 HE INFAMOUSLY
APPEARED AT A POLICE RALLY THAT
TURNED INTO AN ALL-OUT RIOT,
AND HE REFUSED TO DECRY OR
DENOUNCE IT.
AS MAYOR GIULIANI OVERSAW AN
INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN
SURVEILLANCE AND POLICING OF
BLACK AND BROWN NEW YORKERS,
AND ONE NOTORIOUS INCIDENT HE
DEMONIZED AN UNARMED BLACK MAN
WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY THE
POLICE.
CLEARLY EVEN HIS RECENT TURN AS
A PUBLIC FACE OF, FRANKLY,
RACIST ACCUSATIONS OF VOTER
FRAUD, IS NOT REALLY NEW.
>> TAKE EARLIER IN THE DAY,
RUBY FREEMAN AND SHAYE FREEMAN
MASS AND ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN
QUITE OBVIOUS OBVIOUSLY
SURREPTITIOUSLY PASSING AROUND
USB AS IF THEY WERE VIALS OF
HEROIN AND COCAINE.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY TO ANYONE WHO IS
A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR A
PROSECUTOR, THEY'RE ENGAGED AND
SURREPTITIOUS ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
AGAIN, THAT DAY.
>> THAT WAS FALSE.
RUBY FREEMAN AND SHAYE MOSS
ACTUALLY SUED RUDY GIULIANI
PROTECT FORMATION.
BUT THAT KIND OF RHETORIC,
TALKING ABOUT THESE TWO BLACK
WOMEN, OF BEING DRUG DEALERS,
STEALING AN ELECTION, THAT GOES
WAY BACK TO THE 1989 RACE FOR
MAYOR.
1989 RACE FOR MAYOR WHICH
GIULIANI LOST TO THE FIRST
BLACK MAN ELECTED AS MAYOR IN
NEW YORK, DAVID JENKINS.
AS HE TOLD IN AN INTERVIEW, 21
YEARS AGO, AND I'M QUOTING IT
HERE, THEY STOLE THAT ELECTION
FROM ME, THEY STALL VOTES IN
THE BLACK PARTS OF BROOKLYN,
AND IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS,
ILLEGAL DOMINICAN IMMIGRANTS
WERE ALLOWED TO VOTE IN
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS.
THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR, DOESN'T
IT?
HAS A CERTAIN RING TO IT.
LET ME TELL YOU, AS A LIFELONG
NEW YORKER, REPORTERS IN NEW
YORK CITY AND CRITICS WILL TELL
YOU, RUDY GIULIANI HAS ALWAYS
BEEN AN ABSOLUTE MACHIAVELLIAN
OPERATOR.
SO YEAH, YOU MIGHT SAY, WHAT
HAPPENED TO RUDY?
OR YOU COUL