New York State Bar Association moves to remove Rudy Giuliani's membership

Rudy Giuliani's membership in the New York State Bar Association is a step closer to being removed, reported NBC News' Josh Lederman on Monday.

Giuliani has served as President Donald Trump's closest adviser and lawyer since losing the 2020 election.

In a statement, the association noted that Giuliani had called for "trial by combat" before the violent insurrection at the U.S Capitol.

"The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) strongly condemned the violent uprising that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, orchestrated by individuals bent on subverting the will of the voters by disrupting the certification of the 2020 presidential election results," the group wrote.

"Thankfully, Congress overcame this assault and fulfilled its constitutional responsibility in certifying the Biden-Harris victory. However, we must address the root cause of this abhorrent incident, the blame for which lies first and foremost with President Donald Trump."

"But the president did not act alone," the group added. "Hours before the angry mob stormed the Capitol walls, Trump's personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, addressed a crowd of thousands at the White House, reiterating baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the presidential election and the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs."

The association noted that its bylaws state that "no person who advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States, or of any state, territory or possession thereof, or of any political subdivision therein, by force or other illegal means, shall be a member of the Association."

Two Democratic lawmakers recently called on the association to remove Giuliani.

"While a lawyer's actions do not have to meet the threshold of criminality in order for that lawyer to be disbarred, we believe that Mr. Giuliani is guilty of at least three separate federal crimes, any one of which is absolutely disqualifying from remaining in good standing with the bar," wrote Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Mondaire Jones (D-NY).

This would not remove Giuliani's law license, however.