Rudy Giuliani on Sunday put his name to a fundraising appeal for Republican mayoral hopeful Curtis Sliwa as the general election campaign formally begins this summer. 

The fundraising email from Giuliani comes as controversy is swirling around the former mayor, including a federal investigation surrounding foreign contacts and potential violations of lobbying laws. Giuliani this month was suspended from the New York state bar, with judges citing false claims he made about the 2020 elections.

But the email released by the Sliwa campaign (subject line, "I need a favor") with Giuliani's name attached underscores his continued status among New York Republicans. At the same time, Giuliani's son Andrew is seeking the New York Republican gubernatorial nomination. 

The email draws a parallel to Giuliani's successfull campaign in 1993 for City Hall. 

"When I ran for mayor, I pledged to clean up the mess by being tough on crime and fighting to root out the rampant corruption that had plagued City Hall," the email states. "My friend, Curtis Sliwa, will do the same. He is the only candidate with a big, bold, 'no B.S.' plan to save New York City."

Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, faces Democratic Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in the general election. Adams is the heavy favorite to win the race, given the overwhelming Democratic enrollment in New York City.