Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump during challenges to the 2020 election results, exits U.S. District Court after attending a hearing in a defamation suit related to the 2020 election results that has been brought against Giuliani by two Georgia election workers, at the federal courthouse in Washington, U.S., May 19, 2023.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Former New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew 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 PAC, called Giuliani Defense, 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 invite reviewed by CNBC Wednesday.
Donors are being asked to each give $100,000 to the PAC to take part in the event.
Andrew Giuliani is the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who 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 round table discussion with Trump and Rudy Giuliani, followed by a dinner with Rudy Giuliani, according to the invite. A person familiar with the gathering told CNBC that the September fundraising event at Trump’s golf club 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.
“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,” Andrew Giuliani told CNBC in a statement. He declined to comment further.
“Cottage & golf opportunities” are also available for donors at the September New Jersey event upon request, according to the invite.
Trump’s properties could stand to financially benefit 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 invite as the point of contact for anyone interested in taking part in the September New Jersey fundraising event. Andrew Giuliani 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.”