The first domino falls: Rudy Giuliani disbarred pro tempore (for now)

 Nearly 20 years after he was christened, "America's Mayor", in the wake of 9/11/01, Rudy Giuliani is in some deep, very hot, legal waters.

This morning, a state appeals court slapped Giuliani with a temporary suspension of his license to practice law due to his perpetuating and supporting Donald Trump's "big lie" that the 2020 election was stolen.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

It's not like we didn't see this coming. This was, after all, all but inevitable. A fictional barrister like the late Andy Griffith's Matlock would be more credible than Giuliani at this point. Giuliani is also wilting under the pressure of twin defamation suits brought against him by Dominion Voting Systems and its professional rival, Smartmatic.

Note, too, that the suspension is temporary, and Giuliani has 20 days to file a request for a hearing for reinstatement. The deadline, then, would be July 14.

The long term ramifications are these. A permanent loss of license would not only hurt Giuliani, but all but kill his son Andrew's chances of becoming governor of NY next year. Giuliani recently endorsed GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and a prominent radio personality in the city, for Mayor of NYC. That endorsement could very well be the kiss of death if Giuliani gets into further legal trouble between now and November 2, Election Day.

It won't be long before Trump issues some sort of whiny statement on the matter. We think.

Update, 7:12 pm (ET): And here it is:

"WAAAAAAH!! It's a witch hunt! WAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Update, 7:24 pm (ET): Finally, the cherry on top of the pie, Andrew's reaction, with commentary by Brian Tyler Cohen:

Giuliani's downfall is indeed sad & tragic, and of his own making. And Andrew is already making the case of why he won't win the governor's mansion next year.