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Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, has expressed regret for not accepting a pension from the city. This comes as he is currently facing a civil court judgement of $148m for defaming two election workers in Georgia.
According to the New York Post, the previous mayor has now declared bankruptcy.
The Empire Centre for Public Policy, a watchdog group focused on taxpayer issues, discovered no proof that Mr. Giuliani had ever applied for a pension.
If he had submitted an application, he would have qualified for an annual sum of around $26,000 starting at the age of 62.
If the previous mayor had applied for a pension, he would have an additional $442,000 in his possession.
When questioned by The New York Post about why he never accepted a pension, he stated that he was “returning the love to the city.”
“Despite my desire to take it immediately,” he included.
The former mayor then confessed that he was unsure of how to proceed.
He is also not receiving a federal pension for his prior employment as Manhattan’s US Attorney and for other government positions he held.
When Mr Giuliani left office in 2001, it was with a reputation for cleaning up the city and for shepherding New Yorkers through the 9/11 terror attacks. He was known as “America’s Mayor” and had multiple multi-million dollar book deals.
In an example of at least one act of foresight by Mr Giuliani, the former mayor paid into the city’s deferred compensation plan, which he estimates as representing between $50,000 to $100,000, according to a campaign disclosure from 2007, when he was planning an ultimately doomed presidential bid.
The majority of former mayors have received pensions, except for Michael Bloomberg, who chose not to receive a salary or pension due to his billionaire status.
Although Mr. Giuliani may not have a retirement plan, he does have a Twitter account and it seems that he plans to use it to make money in the upcoming year.
“Please do us both a favor and join our top-tier program, America’s Mayor Confidential. Let’s become a tight-knit team for 2024. You can find me on X/Twitter at @RudyWGiuliani and subscribe for just $10 a month. Together, we can build an army by the middle of next year. This opportunity is only for those willing to take on the responsibility of restoring our constitutional rights and leaving behind an even greater America for future generations.”
Source: independent.co.uk
