WS Chronicle

By Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

“Be careful about the company you keep.” 

I have heard that expression multiple times as I was coming of age. What my parents told me stuck with me.

This advice has been a staple of my life.

I have lived long enough to have been around many different people. Some have been sinister and sly. My interactions with them were minimal. I saw quickly they were up to no good.

The scenario that happened to me probably happened to you, too. We learned our lesson for our momentary insanity and bad judgment. 

Rudy Giuliani was around a slick dude, Donald Trump, and believed in the Kool-Ade he was serving. Now, he has paid a dear price. Last week, Giuliani was suspended from practicing law by an appellate court in New York State.

The court wrote, “Giuliani’s conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law.”

Arguably, Rudy Giuliani went from the hall of fame to the hall of shame. His conduct in recent years has been deplorable and desperate.

He was a man unhinged and unethical. Giuliani was once the Manhattan U.S. attorney. Now, he is a suspended lawyer.

Of course, many Americans remember him as the mayor of New York City during the 9/11 tragedy. He was hailed for his strength and wisdom during this time. Some people called him America’s Mayor. Now, he is simply a fractured figure, a mere shadow of his former self.

What happened to him? It is my opinion that one man happened to him and that man was Donald Trump.

One man – Rudy Giuliani – spent most of his life upholding the law. The other man – Donald Trump – spent his life breaking the law.

Mr. T convinced him to be his personal lawyer. Giuliani, once a reasonable man with principles, became unreasoned with no principles. This is what happens when you get hooked up with a crook. His behavior rubbed off on Rudy; Giuliani became Trump’s mouthpiece. He spewed out lies and innuendos about the election. He bought lock, stock and barrel Trump’s Big Lie.

Months before and after the election, Giuliani became a Pied Piper for evil. He even looked the part as he sweated his way into trying to convince us that Trump was king of the world.

He continued his assault on democracy in the role he played in the January 6th nightmare. He never thought there would be consequences to his actions. He must have thought that Mr. T would save him.

The former president had no intention of throwing him a lifeline. He left him in the dark and in the cold. Giuliani got caught in the Trump vortex and could not get out.

Well-known attorney Ronald Minkoff said, “This is about the integrity of the bar, and that’s really the issue here. It’s really unfortunate that somebody of Rudy Giuliani’s stature should have this happen to them. But his actions and the evidence show that his actions warranted this.”

Yet, some have come to his defense.

Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik is leading a GoFundMe account for him. He said, “We have created the Rudy Giuliani Freedom Fund. This is the official defense fund for this American Patriot.”

The question at the inquiry bench is whether the former president will be contributing to the fund. Does Trump have any real money to contribute and if so, would Giuliani’s legal team accept it?

It is both laughable and pathetic at the same time.

This is only the beginning of this saga. It has the elements of a soap opera. Let us call it the Rise and Fall of Rudy.

Stay tuned for weekly episodes.

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator. He can be reached at overtimefergie.2020@yahoo.com.