2 broke guys: How MyPillow CEO helped Giuliani fly first-class to RNC as creditors circle

Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani attended last week's Republican National Convention (RNC) on the dime of a conservative media platform started by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, according to federal court documents.

Giuliani, who filed for bankruptcy protection after a federal jury decided in December that he must pay $148 million in damages to two Georgie poll workers he defamed after the 2020 election, flew to the RNC in first-class seats, according to a letter submitted by the politician's attorney to a New York federal court.

Judge Sean Lane of the federal bankruptcy court in White Plains, New York, dismissed Giuliani's bankruptcy protection case on July 12, thus allowing creditors to collect debt from the former mayor through foreclosures, repossessions and other efforts.

The letter from Giuliani's attorney, Gary C. Fischoff, calls the claims of his client paying for the first-class plane tickets an "unsubstantiated rumor." To clarify, Fischoff said FrankSpeech paid for Giuliani's tickets and lodging to attend the RNC.

Attached to the letter submitted to the court is a statement signed by Lindell confirming that FrankSpeech paid for Giuliani's tickets and hotel.

"This representation letter is provided to confirm FrankSpeech has paid for Rudolph Giuliani's first-class airfare and hotel for the RNC (from) July 14th-July 20th, 2024. These expenses were covered entirely by FrankSpeech," the statement said.

Rudy Giuliani is an employee of FrankSpeech, Mike Lindell says

Giuliani has been an employee of FrankSpeech since July 1, Lindell told CNN on Tuesday, but he declined to say how much the former U.S. associate attorney general was being paid to be a host on the platform's FrankSpeech TV.

Former president Donald Trump's advisor agreed to be a part of a daily one-hour show on FrankSpeech TV, Fischoff told CNN, adding that the agreement was detailed during the bankruptcy proceedings.

“I flew everybody in from my crews and hosts,” Lindell said, per CNN. “It’s not like he’s living the life of luxury. We’ve got a company thing where that’s just what we do.”

All of FrankSpeech TV's hosts fly first class to help alleviate travel complications, according to Lindell, per the outlet.

USA TODAY contacted Lindell and Fischoff on Thursday but has not received a response.

Creditors tracked Rudy Giuliani's spending at RNC

In addition to the $148 million Giuliani owes poll workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, he was ordered to pay $350,000 in fees related to his unsuccessful bankruptcy attempt.

As Giuliani attended the RNC, creditors attempted to trace his spending, including transactions made with his debit card, CNN reported. The card statements revealed relatively small purchases, including two charges for less than $100 at a hotel, according to the outlet, citing "a person familiar with the payment."

Mike Lindell's own financial woes linger

While Lindell claims his media platform paid for Guiliani's travel expenses, his own personal finances have come into question after being ordered to pay substantial amounts of money to a warehouse company and a software engineer.

In February, a federal judge ordered Lindell to pay $5 million to Robert Zeidman, founder of Zeidman Consulting, after the software engineer debunked data that the MyPillow CEO said showed that China interfered with the 2020 election. It is unclear if Lindell has paid any of the $5 million to Zeidman or if he has filed for appeal on the judge's ruling.

A Scott County judge in March also ordered Lindell to pay a Minnesota warehouse company more than $217,000 for overdue rent and other charges, the Star Tribune reported. The judge approved the landlord's request for Lindell to vacate the property after four default notices were sent to the MyPillow CEO over the last six months, according to the outlet.

Lindell is also still wrapped up in a $1.3 billion defamation suit filed by Dominion Voting Systems in the District of Columbia that says the executive falsely accused the voting machine company of impacting the 2020 election, court documents show. Smartmatic, a different voting machine company, also filed a defamation suit against Lindell.

The MyPillow CEO said in October 2023 that he did not have enough money to pay the attorneys who were defending him in his defamation suit.

Rudy Giuliani 'fine' after falling during RNC

Guiliani's legal issues are not the only thing he had to worry about at the RNC as a video of the 80-year-old falling to the floor as he reached for a chair circulated across social media.

Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, told the Wall Street Journal “he’s fine,” adding: “No one works as hard as the mayor from sun up to sun down.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rudy Giuliani's first class trip to RNC paid for by MyPillow CEO's company