Former associate suing Rudy Giuliani for alleged sexual assault, harassment

ByAaron Katersky WABC logo

Monday, May 15, 2023

Rudy Giuliani hit with sexual abuse lawsuit

A former associate is suing Rudy Giuliani for sexual assault and harassment. Lauren Glassberg has the story.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A former associate is suing Rudy Giuliani for sexual assault and harassment, wage theft, and other misconduct, accusing the former mayor and Trump lawyer of making "sexual demands" and going on "alcohol-drenched rants that included sexist, racist, and antisemitic remarks," many of which were recorded.

Noelle Dunphy said she began working for Giuliani in 2019 as his director of business development and her lawsuit said Giuliani "began abusing Ms. 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 said.

According to Dunphy, Giuliani promised her a $1 million annual salary but the offer came with a catch: Giuliani was in the midst of an acrimonious divorce, and he told Ms. Dunphy that her pay would have to be deferred and her employment kept "secret" until the divorce proceedings finished. He claimed that his "crazy" ex-wife and her lawyers were watching his cashflow, and that his ex-wife would "attack" and "retaliate" against any female employee that Giuliani hired, the lawsuit said.

Part of the job required Dunphy to record her interactions with Giuliani "anytime, anywhere, as well as Giuliani's interactions with others," the lawsuit said.

"But unbeknownst to Ms. Dunphy, Giuliani apparently decided during the interview that he would use the job offer and his representation as a pretext to develop a quid pro quo sexual relationship with Ms. Dunphy. He was later recorded telling Ms. Dunphy, 'I've wanted you from the day I interviewed you,'" the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, a week into her employment, Giuliani had Dunphy flown to New York on a chartered plane and insisted she stay in a guest suite in his upper east side apartment. The two drank and at one point "Giuliani then pulled her head onto his penis, without asking for or obtaining any form of consent. He held her by her hair. It became clear to Ms. Dunphy that there was no way out of giving him oral sex. She did so, against her will."

Giuliani often demanded that Dunphy work naked, in a bikini, or in short shorts with an American flag on them that he bought for her, the lawsuit said.

"When they were apart, they would often work remotely via videoconference, and during those conferences Giuliani almost always asked her to remove her clothes on camera. He often called from his bed, where he was visibly touching himself under a white sheet," the lawsuit said.

A spokesperson released a statement on Giuliani's behalf that said, "Giuliani vehemently and completely denies the allegations in the complaint and plans to thoroughly defend against these allegations. This is pure harassment and an attempt at extortion."

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