In court Tuesday, an angry Rudy Giuliani lashed out at the judge presiding over the collection of a $146 million defamation judgment against him, complaining that he is struggling to make ends meet.
Giuliani spoke flatly after U.S. District Judge Louis Lehman said Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer failed to comply with court orders to turn over assets. I don’t have a car, credit cards, or cash, so everything I have is tied up. They have placed a stop order on my business account and I am unable to pay my bill. ”
The judge said Giuliani did not appear to be in trouble and warned him not to lash out any further.
The hearing in New York federal court follows complaints from lawyers for former Georgia election officials Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss, who Giuliani defamed by challenging the state’s 2020 election results. It was held at Lawyers for Mr. Freeman and Mr. Moss said Mr. Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, had failed to comply with court orders to turn assets over to them.
Mr. Giuliani’s new lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, said Mr. Giuliani turned over one of his assets, a 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 that belonged to Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall. Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for Mr. Freeman and Mr. Moss, said Mr. Giuliani turned over the car but not the ownership.
The judge said the title must be returned. “A car without a title means nothing,” Liman said, questioning why Giuliani couldn’t get a new car.
“Your client is a talented person. He was a local U.S. attorney. The idea that he can’t apply for a certificate of title…” before Giuliani cuts him off and begins his rant. the judge told Cammarata.
“I applied!” Giuliani barked, shaking his head. “What should I do, provide for myself? Your implication that I’m not working hard is completely false,” he continued, before complaining about his financial woes.
Lawyers for the election commission said there were similar administrative problems at Mr. Giuliani’s co-op apartment in Manhattan. The recipients gained access to apartments estimated to be worth more than $5 million, but Giuliani “has not yet handed over the keys, inventory, or lease of ownership,” the court filing said. Ta.
He has turned over most of his luxury watch collection, but not all of it, as he was ordered to do last month, according to the filing.
“Mr. Giuliani delivered 18 watches and one diamond ring to the address provided by the recipient,” the filing states, adding that there are still nine watches to be delivered.
Nathan said in court that his clients want to move forward and get what’s theirs, but Giuliani has disobeyed court orders and refused to hand over cash and sports memorabilia from his bank account. , said they had to endure delays through multiple extensions. Also includes an autographed Joe DiMaggio jersey.
Cammarata said he was appealing the judge’s handover order, considering that Giuliani’s former lawyer had just dropped the case for undisclosed reasons. They asked the judge to partially extend the deadline.
Mr. Lehman denied the request. “You cannot start over by firing one lawyer and hiring another. He has already received multiple extensions and has missed deadlines multiple times,” the judge said, adding that Giuliani He warned that if he did not comply with the order he could be subject to sanctions or imprisonment.
A trial is scheduled for January 16 on two unresolved issues related to the sentence. The question is whether Giuliani will have to surrender his Florida home and four World Series rings that his son Andrew said were given to him as a gift years ago. Mr. Giuliani listed the ring as his property in a bankruptcy case earlier this year.
Cammarata asked the judge to postpone the trial to a later date so Giuliani can attend events related to President Trump’s inauguration. He said Giuliani consults regularly with Trump and “has a political right to be there.”
The judge rejected the request, saying Giuliani’s “social calendar” was not grounds for delay.
After court, Mr. Giuliani suggested that a trial was unnecessary, saying that Mr. Lehman was “going to rule against me. If you’re sitting in a courtroom and you don’t understand, you’re an idiot.”
While he acknowledged that Trump nominated judges to the bench, he said, “His background is that of a full-fledged Democratic left wing.” Still, Giuliani argued that the justices are “mostly left-wing.”
Freeman and Moss filed suit against Giuliani after he repeatedly falsely accused him of election fraud during the 2020 election, which led to a flurry of racist death threats. He claimed to have been forced out of his job. State officials at the time said the two had done nothing wrong. Mr. Giuliani continued to accuse the mother and daughter of fraud even after they were cleared in a lengthy state investigation.
Last year, a jury awarded them $148 million in damages, but Lehman reduced that to $146 million.
Asked if he regretted slandering Freeman and Moss, Giuliani said: “I don’t regret it one bit. I regret the persecution I suffered.”