Rudy Giuliani faces disciplinary hearing over election lawsuits

In at least one state, Fox said, Giuliani appeared personally, having put together the band of lawyers at short notice to try to keep the outgoing president in office.

The Pennsylvania lawsuit led to a bizarre and much mocked press conference that Giuliani hosted at the Four Seasons Landscaping company in Philadelphia. The venue, next to a sex shop, was close to the glitzy Four Seasons hotel that many assumed Giuliani had intended to book.

The exchange prompted an intervention from Bernius, who reminded Giuliani that his years of legal experience would make him aware he was required to answer questions honestly as a witness.

Giuliani has not been charged with any criminal misconduct in relation to election lawsuits.

On the Pennsylvania lawsuit, Fox said that Giuliani wanted a federal judge to throw out almost 700,000 mail-in ballots, and had suggested that 7m ballots could ultimately be invalidated. But he noted no specific allegation of fraud was presented to that court, nor any proof offered that it had occurred.

The lawsuit failed in district court, and an appeals court refused to hear a revised complaint.