Rudy Giuliani’s lady friend urged Trump to give him Presidential Medal of Freedom

WASHINGTON, DC: Rudy Giuliani’s longtime companion and confidante, Maria Ryan, played a behind-the-scenes role in trying to secure the nation’s highest civilian honor for the embattled former New York mayor.

According to biographer Andrew Kirtzman, Ryan wrote directly to then-President Donald Trump during his first term, lobbying him to award Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Maria Ryan urged Donald Trump to award Rudy Giuliani Medal of Freedom

Ryan, 59, is a nurse practitioner and former hospital administrator from New Hampshire who has frequently appeared at Giuliani’s side in recent years. Though she has denied rumors of a romantic relationship, she has often been one of his most vocal advocates.

The revelation about Ryan’s Medal of Freedom campaign surfaced just as Giuliani, 81, was recovering from a serious injury. Hours after the pair were seen attending a New Hampshire minor league baseball game, Giuliani was involved in a car accident that left him with a fractured vertebra, according to local station WMUR.

From his hospital bed, the former Trump attorney praised Ryan’s role in overseeing his recovery. “Thank you to @MariaRyanNH who is a board certified nurse practitioner overseeing the care of America’s Mayor. (Nurse practitioners do everything a doctor does except surgery),” Giuliani posted online.

Ryan’s request appeared to gain traction after Trump revealed on Truth Social Monday, Sep 02, that he is weighing the idea of awarding Giuliani the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“As President of the United States of America, I am pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot, will receive THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, our Country’s highest civilian honor,” Trump wrote.

Maria Ryan stayed loyal through legal woes despite rumors of personal ties

Ryan’s loyalty has been consistent through Giuliani’s mounting legal troubles. After the 2020 election, she sent an email to Trump’s campaign requesting Giuliani be compensated $20,000 per day for his work promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud, an amount Giuliani later acknowledged publicly.

Since then, Giuliani has faced a series of professional and personal crises. He was disbarred in New York and Washington, DC, in 2024 for spreading baseless election fraud allegations, and his failed bankruptcy bid added to his financial strain. Meanwhile, leaked recordings submitted in a sexual harassment lawsuit included Giuliani speaking about Ryan in personal terms, saying, “She loves me. But she can’t leave her family, including her husband.”

Both Ryan and Giuliani have strongly denied having a romantic relationship, despite the persistent speculation fueled by those recordings.