An angry Rudy Giuliani lashed out in court Tuesday at the judge presiding over the collection proceeding for the $146 million defamation judgment against him — and complained he's having a hard time making ends meet.
Speaking after U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman said the former personal lawyer to Donald Trump had not been complying with court orders to surrender his assets, Giuliani snapped: “The implications you are making against me are wrong. I have no car, no credit card, no cash, everything I have is tied up. They have put stop orders on my business accounts, and I can’t pay my bills.”
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The judge said Giuliani did not appear to be indigent and warned him against any further outbursts.
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The hearing in federal court in New York was held in part in response to allegations from attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the former Georgia election workers Giuliani defamed while challenging the 2020 election results in the state. The lawyers for Freeman and Moss have said that Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, has not complied with court orders to turn over his assets to the pair.
Giuliani's new attorney, Joseph Cammarata, said the former New York City mayor had turned over one of the assets — a 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 that used to belong to Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall. Aaron Nathan, an attorney for Freeman and Moss, said Giuliani had surrendered the car, but not the title.
The judge said the title must be turned over. “A car without a title is meaningless,” Liman said, questioning why Giuliani hadn't been able to get a new one.
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"Your client is a competent person. He was the U.S. attorney in the district. The notion that he can't apply for a title certificate ... " the judge told Cammarata before Giuliani cut him off and started his rant.
"I did apply for it!" Giuliani barked, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to do, make it up myself? Your implication that I have not been diligent about it is totally incorrect," he continued, before complaining about his financial woes.
Attorneys for the election workers have said they have a similar paperwork issue with Giuliani's co-op apartment in Manhattan. While the receivers have gotten access to the apartment, which is estimated to be worth over $5 million, Giuliani “still has not delivered the keys, stock, or proprietary lease,” they said in a court filing.
The filing said he has turned over the majority of his luxury watch collection, but not all of it, as he was ordered to do last month.
“Mr. Giuliani has delivered 18 watches and one diamond ring to the address provided by the Receivers,” the filing said, but still has nine more watches he’s supposed hand over.
In court, Nathan said his clients want to move forward and collect what is theirs but have had to endure delay after delay with multiple extensions while Giuliani has failed to comply with court orders, refusing to turn over cash from his bank account and sports memorabilia, including a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey.
Cammarata said he is appealing the judge's turnover order and asked the judge to extend some deadlines given that he had just signed on to the case after Giuliani's previous attorney withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
Liman rejected the request. “You can’t restart the clock by firing one counsel and hiring another. He has already received multiple extensions and missed multiple deadlines,” the judge said, warning that Giuliani could face sanctions and potential incarceration if he doesn't comply with his orders.
A trial is scheduled for Jan. 16 on two outstanding issues related to the judgment: whether Giuliani must surrender his Florida home and his four World Series rings, which his son, Andrew, says were given to him as gifts years ago. Giuliani listed the rings as his property in a bankruptcy case this year.
Cammarata asked the judge to push the trial back to a later date so Giuliani could attend events related to Trump's inauguration. Giuliani, he said, regularly consults with Trump and "has the political right to be there."
The judge refused the request, saying Giuliani's "social calendar" wasn't a reason to delay.
After court, Giuliani suggested the trial is unnecessary because Liman is "going to rule against me. If you were sitting in the courtroom and couldn't figure it out, you're stupid."
"His background is serious left-wing Democrat," he said, while acknowledging that Trump had nominated the judge to the bench. Still, Giuliani maintained, the judge is "about as left-wing as you get."
Freeman and Moss filed suit against Giuliani after he repeatedly falsely accused them of committing election fraud during the 2020 election, claims that led to a torrent of racist death threats that forced them out of their jobs. State officials at the time said the pair had done nothing wrong. Giuliani continued accusing the mother and daughter of fraud — even after a lengthy state investigation cleared them.
Last year, a jury awarded them $148 million in damages, which Liman reduced to $146 million.
Asked if he regretted defaming Freeman and Moss, Giuliani said: "I do not regret it for a minute. I regret the persecution I have been put through."
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