A federal decide in New York on Thursday raised the opportunity of holding Rudy Giuliani in contempt if he fails to show over property by subsequent week to the 2 Georgia ballot staff he defamed after the 2020 election.
A 90-minute listening to devolved into what the decide referred to as “griping” after a lawyer for former election staff Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss accused Giuliani of “sport taking part in” and an lawyer for Giuliani accused the 2 ladies of being “vindictive.”
A federal jury final yr ordered Giuliani to pay Freeman and Moss almost $150 million for defaming them with false accusations that the mom and daughter dedicated election fraud whereas the 2 had been counting ballots in Georgia’s Fulton County on Election Day in 2020.
Earlier this week, Freeman and Moss’ lawyer claimed that Giuliani had “secreted away” his property after the receivership managed by the 2 election staff accessed Giuliani’s condo, solely to search out it just about empty.
The previous New York Metropolis mayor was given a Nov. 14 deadline to show over the shares in his Higher East Aspect co-op condo, beneficial sports activities memorabilia, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, and luxurious watches — together with one which belonged to Giuliani’s grandfather.
When protection lawyer Ken Caruso complained that forcing Giuliani to relinquish his grandfather’s watch was “vindictive,” an exasperated Choose Lewis Liman mentioned, “Oh come on!”
“The regulation is the regulation and I do not apply it otherwise to your consumer,” Liman mentioned. “Do not come to me and say one thing is vindictive.”
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani leaves the New York Federal Courthouse on November 7, 2024, in New York Metropolis.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
The decide was equally unmoved by the protection argument that Giuliani’s automotive, a blue Mercedes-Benz convertible as soon as owned by the actress Lauren Bacall, was exempt from the judgment as a result of it is price lower than $4,000.
“Monday the title and keys shall be delivered in addition to the bodily location of the automotive,” Choose Liman mentioned.
Giuliani additionally balked at relinquishing about $2 million {dollars} he’s owed for authorized labored carried out for Donald Trump.
“They wished that cash to make a political assertion,” Caruso mentioned.
Liman didn’t budge and reminded Giuliani of the implications.
“He’s beneath an unqualified order to ship all of the receivership property to the receiver,” Liman mentioned. “If he would not comply then I am positive I will get a movement for contempt. If he hasn’t delivered, and there’s a manner during which he might have delivered, he’ll be topic to contempt sanctions.”
Outdoors court docket, Giuliani accused Freeman and Moss of bringing a “political vendetta” that was “financed by the Bidens.”
When ABC Information requested whether or not he regretted defaming Freeman and Moss, Giuliani answered “No” earlier than his lawyer stepped in to say the case was on attraction.
