A federal judge in New York gave former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani a proper dressing down Thursday in court—and set a deadline of one week to hand over the rest of his property to cover a $148 million judgment for defaming two Georgia election workers.
If the bankrupt former personal lawyer for Donald Trump doesn’t pay up, he could be held in contempt of court.
Giuliani, 80, appeared in a Manhattan federal court room on Thursday, where his lawyers tried to answer why he hasn’t transferred his valuables to Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea ‘Shaye’ Moss, the two Georgia election workers he was previously found liable for defaming with false claims of election rigging during the 2020 election.
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Freeman and Moss were given access to Giuliani’s Upper East Side apartment last week. However, lawyers for the plaintiffs told the court on Thursday that all of the former mayor’s possessions had been removed from the property beforehand, frustrating Freeman and Moss’ lawyers, as well as U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman.
Liman was particularly incensed by a document submitted by Giuliani’s team that claimed he was the only person who could attest to his assets, a suggestion he called farcical.
“My expectation is you’re going to answer that question truthfully and fully,” Liman said in demanding that he update the document in question.
The judge gave Giuliani until a hearing next Thursday to show that he has “made efforts” to comply with the order to turn over his valuables, Reuters reported. These include Yankees memorabilia, a Mercedes-Benz once owned by actress Lauren Bacall, and his Manhattan penthouse apartment.
Kenneth Caruso, an attorney for the former mayor, claimed the Georgia women were being “vindictive” in demanding Giuliani hand over some items, including an heirloom watch given to him by his grandfather, the Associated Press reported.
However, Liman dismissed the excuses as “ridiculous”—pointing out that other defendants are asked to turn over similar items every day.
“They have to pay the debt,” Liman said. “It doesn’t matter that it’s in the form of a watch or a watch that somebody passes down to him.”
Giuliani was found liable for defaming Freeman and Moss by a federal jury in Washington, D.C. in December 2023. He was ordered to pay $148 million to the two Georgia poll workers—a massive sum he has already tried to avoid through a failed attempt to declare bankruptcy.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Giuliani said he did not regret his comments and continued to insist he did not defame Freeman and Moss.
“This is a case of political persecution. Just the mere fact of the $145 million [sic] judgment tells the whole world that,” Giuliani told reporters. “There isn’t a person that doesn’t know that the judgment is ridiculous.”
