Rudy Giuliani was found in contempt of court on Monday (January 6) for failing to comply with requests for information regarding his assets to fulfill a $148 million defamation judgment owed to two Georgia election workers.
Judge Lewis J. Liman made the ruling after hearing Giuliani testify for a second day at a contempt hearing. The hearing was prompted by claims from the election workers’ legal team that the former New York City mayor had not adequately provided the requested evidence over the past few months.
Liman stated that Giuliani “willfully violated a clear and unambiguous court order” by missing a December 20 deadline to submit evidence. This evidence is crucial for a trial later this month that will determine whether Giuliani must forfeit his Palm Beach, Florida, condominium, or if it remains his residence, as it may be deemed a vacation home.
The initial $11 million transfer was supposed to occur in October as a down payment to poll workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea Moss.
Giuliani Ordered To Surrender Assets
Freeman and Moss filed a lawsuit against Giuliani in 2021, accusing him of damaging their reputations through false claims, which led to a wave of harassment. Giuliani, a long-time ally of President-elect Donald Trump, had falsely asserted that a surveillance video showed the two women tampering with ballots, claiming they were exchanging USB drives when, in fact, they were passing a box of mints.
Giuliani later admitted to making defamatory statements, and a jury awarded Freeman and Moss $73 million in compensation, with an additional $75 million in punitive damages. Afterward, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy, but the case was dismissed, leaving him without protection from creditors. A judge then ordered him to surrender his Manhattan apartment, over two dozen watches, a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey, and other valuables to satisfy the defamation penalty.
Giuliani Faces Further Legal Challenges
Giuliani is facing another court hearing to determine if his Yankees World Series rings and Florida home will be seized to settle his debt with the election workers. Additionally, he has been indicted in Georgia and Arizona on criminal charges for his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
A member of the Republican Party, Giuliani served as New York City’s mayor starting in 1993 and led the city during the 2001 World Trade Center attacks. He ran for president in 2008 and later became an advisor to Donald Trump.
