Rudy Giuliani was accused of sexual abuse in a new lawsuit filed by a former employee on Monday.
Noelle Dunphy, a former Giuliani associate, filed the lawsuit in New York Court on Monday. The lawsuit accused Giuliani of “sexual assault and harassment, wage theft, and other misconduct.” Giuliani served as the mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001 and more recently worked as a personal attorney to former President Donald Trump.
Giuliani allegedly hired Dunphy as his director of business development in January 2019 and he also allegedly offered to provide her pro bono legal representation in a domestic dispute with a former partner.
However, she would have to keep her employment a “secret” and deferred her pay until his divorce proceedings, which were underway, at the time, finished, according to the complaint.
Newsweek reached out to Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, the law firm that has represented Giuliani in recent years, as well as Dunphy’s attorneys, for comment via email.
Complaint Alleges Sexual Abuse, ‘Hostile’ Work Environment
The complaint accused Giuliani of beginning abuse against Dunphy “almost immediately after she started working for” him.
“He made clear that satisfying his sexual demands—which came virtually anytime, anywhere—was an absolute requirement of her employment and of his legal representation,” the lawsuit reads. “Giuliani began requiring Ms. Dunphy to work at his home and out of hotel rooms so that she would be at his beck and call. He drank morning, noon, and night, and was frequently intoxicated, and therefore his behavior was always unpredictable.”
The lawsuit made several graphic allegations against Giuliani, including that he “took Viagra constantly” and that Dunphy “worked under the constant threat that Giuliani might demand sex from her at any moment.”
Dunphy’s attorneys also alleged that Giuliani took advantage of his position as her lawyer to “pressure her into sex.”
The lawsuit said the work environment became “increasingly hostile,” and that Giuliani would go “on alcohol-drenched rants that included sexist, racist, and antisemitic remarks,” which were allegedly recorded. She also accused him of never paying her for her work.
The lawsuit alleged that less than one week into Dunphy’s employment, Giuliani flew her to New York on a semi-private plane and “insisted” she stayed in a guest suite in his apartment, despite her concerns. He allegedly “pressured her to drink with him” before allegedly sexually abusing her.
Dunphy Says E. Jean Carroll Motivated Lawsuit
In a statement to Newsweek, Dunphy said she felt compelled to come forward with her allegations following the civil lawsuit of E. Jean Carroll, an Elle columnist who accused Trump of sexual assault. The former president was found “liable” for sexual abuse in a civil trial last week.
“In the wake of E. Jean Carroll’s courageous decision to stand up to former President Trump, I believe it is my obligation to step forward to show that no man, no matter how powerful or connected, is immune from the law concerning sexual harassment, abuse and employment discrimination in the workplace,” Dunphy said.
She said she remained working for Giuliani while she waited for her pay, trying to “cope as much as I could,” but that the situation was “extremely difficult.”
“But the price—and I don’t just mean his refusal to pay me what he promised me—was too high. It is something I wrestle with every day. I hope this lawsuit is a way to set the record straight and to allow me to resume building my life and career,” she said.
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