GIVE IT BACK

Scam Victims Want to Claw Back Donation From Rudy Giuliani’s Legal Fund

A new lawsuit argues that a large gift to the one-time New York City mayor’s legal defense fund should be returned to the victims who were allegedly scammed by the donor.

A large donation to Rudy Giuliani’s legal fund is at risk of being clawed back after the man who gave the money was accused of being involved in a skin care scam. Matthew Martorano gave $100,000 to Giuliani’s legal fund last September, which was set up to help the one-time New York City mayor pay his legal fees after he was charged alongside former President Donald Trump in Georgia for their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The donation represents nearly 13% of the fund’s earnings to date, CNBC reported. But a new lawsuit filed this week on behalf of customers who allege they were defrauded by Martorano is seeking to “unwind” the donation because they say it rightfully belongs to his victims. The scheme was outlined in a class-action lawsuit which alleged a company owned by Martorano and his wife, Kathryn, duped customers into signing up for a “free trial” of skincare products—then proceeded to bill those people’s bank accounts with fraudulent purchases. Giuliani spokesman Ted Goodman told CNBC: “This is a lawsuit unrelated to us.”