Rudy Giuliani faces contempt hearing for failure to hand over assets to Georgia mother and daughter he defamed
Published in News & Features
NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani faces a contempt hearing in Manhattan federal court Friday for failing to satisfy a judge’s orders to cough up assets to the Georgia mother and daughter he was found liable for defaming.
The former New York City mayor turned up for the hearing after his legal team tried to get him out of having to appear in person in an 11th-hour request to the judge Thursday, claiming he couldn’t be there in person due to “medical issues with his left knee and breathing problems due to lung issues discovered last year attributable to being at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001.”
Manhattan federal court Judge Lewis Liman appeared doubtful of the request in a ruling late Thursday, saying Giuliani “does not assert he is unable to travel. He submits no medical evidence. He has appeared in person at two prior hearings in this matter.”
The judge had said if Giuliani didn’t appear, he wouldn’t permit his lawyer to rely on admissions in declarations he’s submitted and his deposition as a defense as attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss would be unable to cross-examine him about them.
“He has presented no evidence why for this hearing, where the Court has been asked to hold him in contempt, where his credibility has been called into question, and where Plaintiffs have asked for an opportunity to cross-examine him in person, he should be permitted to deny Plaintiffs that opportunity and to appear remotely,” Judge Liman wrote.
“Plaintiffs would be prejudiced by being denied the opportunity, ordinarily accorded to any other litigants, to cross-examine the witnesses against them live and in open court.”
The video player is currently playing an ad.
If held in contempt, Giuliani could face heavy fines and potentially jail time.
Giuliani has failed to comply with obligations to surrender assets to Freeman and Moss, to whom he owes nearly $150 million after being found liable for falsely accusing them of rigging the 2020 election, according to the contempt motion filed by their lawyers in late December. He was initially supposed to make the items available in October.
Among the items he is due to turn over are an autographed Joe DiMaggio jersey, which he has claimed he’s lost, paperwork for a 1980 Mercedes Benz car once owned by actress Lauren Bacall, paperwork related to his stake in his multi-million dollar Upper East Side co-op apartment, and various other valuables, according to the motion.
In a letter to Judge Liman on Christmas Eve, Giuliani claimed he’d done everything he could to comply with his orders, writing, “The Court should see that I gave everything that I could give.”
In a filing on Dec. 30, the women’s lawyers accused Giuliani of “willful defiance” and continuing to defame them while he refused to comply with orders.
“What that record does reveal is a consistent pattern of willful defiance of the Court’s Turnover Orders and Plaintiffs-Receivers’ instructions pursuant to those Orders — followed by professions of good faith, mixed with vitriolic attacks on Plaintiffs, Receivers, their counsel, and this Court,” Aaron Nathan wrote.
“Enough is enough. A finding of civil contempt, and corresponding civil contempt sanctions, are necessary to bring Mr. Giuliani into full compliance with this Court’s orders.”
Giuliani also faces a related bench trial later this month related to his continued possession of his Yankees World Series rings and his Florida condominium.
-----------
©2025 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Comments