Rudy Giuliani Is Now Being Sued For That Time He Claimed He Almost ‘Died’ From Being Patted On The Back And Called A ‘Scumbag’ In A Grocery Store

It felt “like a shot down his back.” Someone was “yelling and screaming.” He could’ve fallen. He could’ve “cracked his skull.” He could’ve died.

This is how former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani described an incident that happened at a Staten Island grocery store in June of 2022. Trump’s one-time personal lawyer — who often seems to be melting before our eyes — was making the rounds at a local ShopRite to campaign for his equally sweaty son’s gubernatorial bid when a worker patted him on the back, greeting him with a “What’s up scumbag?” before strolling on by. Before video footage of the “slap” landed on social media, Giuliani tried to claim the man, later identified as Daniel Gill, physically assaulted him. He said he was hit “very, very hard,” that the tap “felt like someone shot” him, and that, had he been a weaker 78-year-old, he might not have survived.

But the internet called bullsh*t on that tale, and now the man involved (the nice ShopRite worker, not the corrupt political figure accused of sexual assault and harassment) is calling bullsh*t too.

Gills is suing Giuliani for $2 million after the right-wing grifter had him arrested on second-degree assault charges which ended up costing him his job. While Gills managed to avoid going to court — the charges were later dropped — he did spend a night in jail and was terminated from his place of employment because of Giuliani’s exaggerated retelling of events. Gill’s lawyer said of the lawsuit:

“No crime was committed, no offense was committed. It was just your basic heckling of a very public figure engaged in political campaigning. Rudy Giuliani saw this as yet another opportunity to portray himself as some sort of victim of the left and woke politics.”

The lawsuit alleges that Giuliani not only “dramatized” his version of events to police, but that he worked with Staten Island police officers he knew to make sure Gills was arrested and charged with a more serious crime.

Here’s the “crime” in question so you can place an informed bet on just how much of Giuliani’s money this grocery store worker is going to walk away with.

(Via Gothamist)