An enraged judge on Thursday tried to prevent former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani from disclosing information about his finances to two Georgia election officials he defamed and owed $148 million. condemned the “farcical” attempt.
Mr. Giuliani, 80, told a hearing in Manhattan federal court that he wanted his name removed from documents he was asked to submit listing people who knew the whereabouts of his assets. drew opposition from Judge Louis Lehman.
“The idea that a client has no idea where their assets are is a travesty,” Lehman fumed, adding that he expected Giuliani to answer the question “honestly and completely.”
The judge added, “If necessary, I will have you take the witness stand and testify under oath.''
Legal scholar also throws out Giuliani lawyer Ken Caruso's claim that campaign worker Ruby Freeman and daughter Wandrea “Shay” Moss were “vindictive” in asking for Giuliani's grandfather watch He spoke out during the second half of the hour-long lawsuit. when they recover the funds they owe him.
“Oh, come on. That's crazy!” Lehman said.
“If you have a debt, you have to pay it off. It doesn't matter if it's an heirloom or not,” he added.
Mr. Giuliani sat hunched over in his defense chair and shook his head at various points during the hearing. He could also be heard muttering to his lawyer throughout the courtroom.
Mr. Liman was accused by attorneys for the elections board of violating Mr. Giuliani's Oct. 29 deadline to turn over his Upper East Side apartment, Yankees memorabilia and other assets to court-appointed creditors. The charges were filed and Mr. Giuliani was ordered to appear in person.
Among the assets Mr. Giuliani has yet to part with is a blue 1980 SL500 convertible once owned by Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall. The former mayor brazenly took the car to a polling place in Florida on Tuesday to spy on his ally, President-elect Donald Trump. , please vote.
The judge threatened to hold Mr. Giuliani in contempt of court if he did not hand over the property by next week, potentially leading to fines and even jail time.
“If it's impossible for him to try and follow orders, he won't be held in contempt, but that's the standard he's held to,” Lehman said.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Giuliani called the incident a “political vendetta” and claimed without evidence that his legal troubles were “orchestrated by the Bidens.”
“They can take all my money, but they can't stop me from doing what I believe in,” he said.
Mr. Giuliani falsely claimed that Mr. Freeman and Mr. Moss tried to deceive Mr. Trump when he lost the 2020 presidential election, and said he was “horrified” at Mr. Freeman's home because of the lie. A crowd of supporters rallied, she testified at a federal trial in Washington, D.C., in December 2023. court.
A jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million in damages to the two women, even though the former mayor reported assets of $10.6 million when he filed for bankruptcy late last year. Taking this into account, they are expected to receive far less.
Mr. Giuliani plans to appeal the damages judgment.
