NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2025 - Rudy Giuliani, once lauded as "America's Mayor," is now embroiled in legal battles stemming from his refusal to comply with court orders to surrender assets as part of a staggering $148 million defamation judgment. The legal saga unfolds with Giuliani facing contempt hearings in both New York and potentially in Washington D.C.
Giuliani, 80, was ordered to appear in person at a Manhattan federal court on Friday for a hearing on whether he should be held in contempt for failing to hand over a signed jersey from the late Yankees Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio, among other items. This order came after Giuliani's attorney requested a virtual appearance, citing Giuliani's health issues, including knee problems and respiratory challenges linked to his presence at Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks. However, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman, skeptical of the last-minute request, rejected it due to lack of medical evidence and the significance of Giuliani's in-person testimony.
The defamation award stems from Giuliani's false accusations against two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, whom he accused of manipulating the 2020 election results. After a jury awarded Freeman and Moss $148 million, Giuliani has been accused of dragging his feet in complying with court orders to surrender his property to help satisfy the judgment. This includes his Manhattan co-op apartment, a 1980 Mercedes, and various personal items like sports memorabilia.
Legal analysts note that these hearings mark a dramatic fall from grace for Giuliani, who once held the prestigious position of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. His current legal challenges are compounded by his disbarment in New York and Washington D.C. for his role in promoting false claims about the 2020 election, and he faces criminal charges in both Georgia and Arizona related to efforts to overturn the election results.
Giuliani's attorney, Joseph Cammarata, has argued that Giuliani has complied with court orders to the best of his ability. However, Freeman and Moss's legal team has pushed for "severe sanctions," suggesting that monetary penalties alone would be inadequate given Giuliani's financial situation and the scale of the judgment.
The hearings in New York and Washington D.C. are part of a broader series of legal confrontations this month, with another contempt hearing set for January 10 in Washington regarding Giuliani's continued defamatory statements against Freeman and Moss despite a court injunction.
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