May 17 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani earned at least $17 million last year from speeches, his law and consulting firms and book royalties, according to his financial disclosure form.

Giuliani, 62, a former New York mayor who has led in polls for his party's presidential nomination, earned $11.4 million in speaking fees, according to his disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission. He received $4.1 million from his New York-based consulting firm, Giuliani & Co. LLC; $1.2 million from his Houston law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, and $146,092 in royalties for his 2002 book, ``Leadership.''

When Giuliani left the mayor's office in 2002, he reported assets between $1.2 million and $1.9 million. According to his disclosure to the FEC, his assets had grown to at least $17 million last year and perhaps as much as $70 million. His share of the consulting firm was worth between $5 million and $25 million.

His speaking fees ranged as high as $200,000 during 2006, according to the disclosure form. Giuliani spoke at events held by companies including New York-based Merrill Lynch & Co. and Detroit-based General Motors Corp. Giuliani also is chairman of the advisory board of Leeds Equity Fund IV.

Giuliani made a personal loan between $250,000 and $500,000 to law partner Kenneth Caruso. Caruso declined comment. Giuliani also paid his wife, Judith Nathan, an unspecified salary.

Giuliani's consulting firm advises Entergy Corp., owner of the Indian Point nuclear power plan near New York City. Giuliani also is an adviser to Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. and Houston-based Shell Oil Co., which want to place a 1,215-foot- long barge on Long Island Sound to store liquefied natural gas. Local officials have said they were concerned about terrorist attacks on those facilities.

Citgo

Giuliani's law firm represents Houston-based Citgo Petroleum Corp., an oil company controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has challenged U.S. influence throughout Latin America. The law firm also has lobbied to exempt respiratory-mask manufacturers from lawsuits when equipment fails, a position opposed by police and firefighters.

Alex Vogel, a partner in the Washington-based lobbying firm Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc., said opponents may try to use Giuliani's clients to muddy his image as a homeland security expert following his much-praised performance as New York mayor following the Sept. 11 attacks.

``A great deal of his political strength is rooted in 9/11,'' said Vogel, who previously worked for ex-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. ``His opponents are going to look for any opportunity to sully that moment for him. You say his name, everybody says 9/11. If you can leave a mark there, it's a significant mark.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 17, 2007 08:01 EDT