Rudy Giuliani and estranged wife Judith Nathan Giuliani’s divorce has hit such a high level of bitterness that a judge told them not to be in the same room if they run into each other at social clubs.
“There was an issue at one of the clubs last week,” Lisa Zeiderman, one of Giuliani’s lawyers, told Judge Michael Katz at a Wednesday hearing in the couple’s divorce case. “We’re going to ask that Ms. Giuliani just keep her distance from Mr. Giuliani when they’re at clubs together and their children, as well, and not take photographs, because that’s what was happening last weekend, I’m advised, at one of the clubs.”
“He just wants to be left alone,” Zeiderman said.
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One of Nathan’s lawyers responded by claiming Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, was simply embarrassed to be seen spending money on his rumored girlfriend’s daughter. (Giuliani later denied this.)
“I am tired of hearing about Mr. Giuliani’s personal life,” Katz said, later instructing, “Whoever is in the room first is allowed to stay in the room.”
The person who walks into the room later, he said, can go to another room “and vice versa.”
Another one of Nathan’s lawyers, Bernard Clair, claimed “she went into the gift shop at the club. She saw Mr. Giuliani. He got anxious and yelled at her.”
“He says he didn’t yell at her. She says she didn’t take pictures,” Katz remarked dryly, saying this had provided “plenty of material for the press to write about.”
“I’m sorry that your case seems to be getting more contentious, more than less contentious,” the judge said at one point. “I think we’re going to be moving this case along to a lengthy and unpleasant trial.”
During the heated hearing, Clair also said Giuliani filled out a change-of-address for Nathan without permission “so all of her mail goes to him.” His lawyer emphatically denied this after the proceeding, which left Giuliani so frustrated that he grumbled “that’s total bullshit” at one point.
Zeiderman also alleged that Nathan had prevented the release of $750,000 to Giuliani that was in an account by writing the bank, flouting a court order.
“The money needs to be released to Mr. Giuliani,” she said.
Clair claimed this was an issue relating to the bank, and that Nathan wasn’t trying to be obstructive. Nathan’s lawyers also alleged that Giuliani hadn’t paid the bills for her mother’s nursing home, nor landscaping costs.
Giuliani’s lawyers insisted that he paid, and that “she holds bills so it appears Mr. Giuliani isn’t paying them.”
It was revealed in court that Giuliani provided “over 19,000 documents” to Nathan as part of discovery.
Giuliani’s lawyers accused Nathan of keeping two bank accounts under wraps, and failing to provide information about her jewelry when they are both supposed to exchange information about their assets.
“The jewelry, which is an easy thing, produce your jewelry,” she huffed.
Prior to the hearing, Nathan, who sported a powder blue blazer, black skinny pants, and grey heels with black bows, approached Giuliani to shake his hand. Giuliani, who looked taken aback, extended his hand stiffly.
Nathan, who filed for divorce from Giuliani in April after 15 years of marriage, had previously asked for $63,000 in monthly spousal support as the divorce case winds through court. She had also asked for Giuliani to pay housing expenses for six homes and incidental costs, such as membership dues at country clubs.
During a court proceeding in November, Nathan’s lawyer had claimed that Giuliani cried poor after she hit him with divorce papers.
“Mr. Giuliani has taken it upon himself to radically change the financial status quo that existed prior to this action,” Clair had said at the time, describing it as “conduct that can only be characterized as SIDS... sudden income deficit syndrome.”
Clair discussed tax returns during the earlier proceeding, and claimed that Giuliani made $7.9 million in 2016 and $9.5 million in 2017. Giuliani and Nathan’s monthly expenses are some $232,000 and $238,000, respectively.
Clair had also alleged that Giuliani was trying to short change Nathan after lavishing $286,000 on his alleged girlfriend, a New Hampshire hospital administrator named Maria Rosa Ryan.
“My client doesn’t care about romantic interest or otherwise, she really doesn’t,” Clair had told Katz. “What she cares about is that these expenses, for these people, are continuing while she’s not received any direct support since August of this past year—not a dime directly for her.”
From the start of their divorce case in August, Giuliani had spent approximately $900,000—such as $12,000 on cigars and $7,000 on pens, Clair previously claimed.
He had also suggested that Giuliani leaving his gig at white-shoe law firm Greenberg Traurig—to work as Trump’s lawyer gratis—seemed coincidental.
“He says, ‘I’m going to work for Donald Trump—for free,’” Clair told the judge. “I’m going to be one of his personal lawyers for free.”
“Mr. Giuliani cannot, after commencing the action, say, ‘OK, all right, I’m going to take President Trump up on his offer of working for free—that will require me to lose $4-to-6 million from Greenberg Traurig,’” Clair also argued, saying such a mentality “translates to conduct [that] is inappropriate.”
Faith Miller, who also represents Giuliani, had contended in the past that he didn’t do anything wrong in agreeing to work for Trump sans pay.
“He was not irresponsible for taking that job,”she had said of the former Manhattan U.S. attorney, who now runs a security firm. “Respectfully, at age 74, if he chooses to work without compensation for the president rather than, say, at a private law firm, I submit that he should be entitled to do so—he still is going to realize a salary of five to six million.”
Even with this income, Giuliani wouldn’t be able to cover all of Nathan’s costs, which she previously referred to as a “burn rate,” on an allegedly “diminished income.”
