Federal judge holds Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court

A FEDERAL JUDGE MONDAY FOUND  RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR AND CLOSE ALLY OF PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP, IN CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR FAILING TO TURN OVER ASSETS TO SATISY A $148 MILLION DOLLAR DEFAMATION JUDGMENT CASE AGAINST HIM.

IN DECEMBER 2023, TWO GEORGIA ELECTION WORKERS, RUBY FREEMAN AND SHAYE MOSS, WERE AWARDED $148 MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES AFTER GIULIANI WAS FOUND LIABLE FOR DEFAMATION OVER FALSE CLAIMS THAT THEY TAMPERED WITH BALLOTS IN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE LEWIS LIMAN ORDERED GIULIANI TO HAND OVER PERSONAL ASSETS TO FREEMAN AND MOSS, INCLUDING HIS MANHATTAN APARTMENT, A 1980 MERCEDES, LUXURY WATCHES, JEWELRY, AND CASH FROM TWO CHECKING ACCOUNTS.

WHEN GIULIANI WAS IN COURT IN NOVEMBER, HIS ATTORNEY TOLD THE JUDGE THAT HE HAD ALREADY TURNED OVER SEVERAL OF THE REQUIRED ASSETS, HOWEVER, ATTORNEYS FOR FREEMAN AND MOSS SAID THE MERCEDES AND PENTHOUSE APARTMENT WERE STILL MISSING.

AT THE TIME, GIULIANI EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD APPLIED FOR A DUPLICATE COPY OF THE CAR TITLE AND HAD NOT RECEIVED IT YET AND ARGUED HE WAS BEING PERSECUTED AND COULD NOT PAY HIS BILLS.

GIULIANI MISSED THE INITIAL ASSET TURNOVER DEADLINE TWO MONTHS AGO.

IN COURT MONDAY, LAWYERS FOR FREEMAN AND MOSS SAID THE MERCEDES AND MANHATTAN APARTMENT HAD BEEN TURNED OVER, HOWEVER, THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO LIQUIDATE THE ASSETS WAS STILL ABSENT.

GIULIANI ALSO TESTIFIED REMOTELY ABOUT HIS PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, HOME, ARGUING IT SHOULD NOT BE TURNED OVER, AS HE CONSIDERS IT HIS PERMANENT RESIDENCE. A TRIAL OVER THE PROPERTY IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 16TH.

GIULIANI ADMITTED IN MONDAY’S TESTIMONY THAT HE SOMETIMES WITHHELD DOCUMENTS, BELIEVING THE REQUESTS WERE OVERLY BROAD, INAPPROPRIATE, OR A “TRAP” SET BY PLAINTIFFS’ LAWYERS.

AFTER THE RULING, GIULIANI ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING IT WAS “TRAGIC TO WATCH AS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A TOTAL MOCKERY, WHERE WE HAVE CHARADES INSTEAD OF ACTUAL HEARINGS AND TRIALS.”

LAWYERS FOR FREEMAN AND MOSS DID NOT COMMENT.