Rudy Giuliani appears in court, says he can’t pay bills amid defamation judgment

Nov 27, 2024

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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

Former New York City Mayor and lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared in court Tuesday, Nov. 26, telling the judge that he cannot pay his bills after being accused of failing to comply with court orders to turn over his assets. The court action is part of a $148 million defamation judgment against him.

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Last month, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Giuliani must turn over several assets to two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who won the defamation lawsuit against him. The assets include his Manhattan apartment, a 1980 Mercedes Benz, some luxury watches and jewelry and cash from two checking accounts.

Freeman and Moss were awarded $150 million in damages last December after Giuliani was found liable for defamation over false claims that they tampered with ballots in the 2020 presidential election.

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Liman had previously threatened Giuliani with civil contempt for not complying with the order to surrender the assets to Freeman and Moss.

“The implications you are making against me are wrong,” Giuliani told the judge Tuesday. “I have no car, no credit card, no cash, everything I have is tied up. They have put stop orders on my business accounts, and I can’t pay my bills.”

The former mayor’s lawyer said that his client had already turned over most of the required assets. However, attorneys for Freeman and Moss pointed out that the title to the Mercedes, along with the keys and lease to the penthouse apartment, were still missing.

Giuliani explained that he had applied for a duplicate copy of the Mercedes title, but it was not yet in his possession.

“The implication I’ve been not diligent about it is totally incorrect,” he told the judge. “The implication you make is against me, and every implication against me is wrong.”

In response, the judge warned Giuliani’s defense attorneys that the next time Giuliani interrupted the hearing, “the court will take action.”

After the hearing, Giuliani spoke to reporters outside the courthouse, stating that he does not regret his comments about Freeman and Moss but regrets the “persecution” he believes he is facing.

“The reality is I have no cash,” Giuliani said. “It’s all tied up. So right now, if I wanted to call a taxi cab, I can’t do it. I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have a checking account.”

Giuliani is scheduled to return to court for a trial on Jan. 16 related to the defamation case. The judge will also decide whether Giuliani must surrender his Florida home and four New York Yankees World Series rings.

Giuliani had requested a delay in the trial, citing a planned appearance in Washington, D.C., for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The judge denied the request.

“Also, the trial he set down for the period of time during President Trump’s inauguration, he really doesn’t need to have it because he’s going to rule against me,” Giuliani said. “If he were sitting in that courtroom and couldn’t figure it out, you’re stupid.”

Tags: Bankruptcy, Defamation Lawsuit, Donald Trump, Georgia, Rudy Giuliani, Washington DC

[Lauren Taylor]

FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR AND LAWYER, RUDY GIULIANI, APPEARED IN COURT TUESDAY SAYING HE CAN’T PAY HIS BILLS AFTER THE JUDGE PRESIDING OVER HIS $148 MILLION DOLLAR DEFAMATION JUDGMENT SAID HE WAS NOT COMPLYING WITH COURT ORDERS TO TURN OVER HIS ASSETS.

LAST MONTH, THE JUDGE RULED GIULIANI MUST TURN OVER SEVERAL ASSETS INCLUDING HIS MANHATTAN APARTMENT, 1980 MERCEDES BENZ, SOME OF HIS LUXURY WATCHES AND JEWELRY AND ALSO CASH IN TWO CHECKING ACCOUNTS TO TWO GEORGIA ELECTION WORKERS WHO WON THE DEFAMATION JUDGMENT.

LAST DECEMBER, RUBY FREEMAN AND SHAYE MOSS WERE AWARDED $150 MILLION AFTER GIULIANI WAS FOUND LIABLE FOR DEFAMATION OVER FALSE CLAIMS THAT THEY TAMPERED WITH BALLOTS IN THE 2020 ELECTION.

U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE LEWIS LIMAN HAD PREVIOUSLY THREATENED GIULIANI WITH CIVIL CONTEMPT FOR NOT HANDING OVER THE ASSETS TO THE TWO WOMEN TO HELP COVER HIS DEBT.

GIULIANI TOLD THE JUDGE “THE IMPLICATIONS YOU ARE MAKING AGAINST ME ARE WRONG. I HAVE NO CAR, NO CREDIT CARD, NO CASH, EVERYTHING I HAVE IS TIED UP. THEY HAVE PUT STOP ORDERS ON MY BUSINESS ACCOUNTS, AND I CAN’T PAY MY BILLS.”

GIULIANI’S LAWYER TOLD THE JUDGE – HIS CLIENT HAD TURNED OVER MOST OF THE ASSETS, HOWEVER, LAWYERS FOR FREEMAN AND MOSS SAID THE TITLE TO THE MERCEDES IS MISSING ALONG WITH KEYS AND LEASE TO THE PENTHOUSE APARTMENT.

GIULIANI TOLD THE JUDGE HE APPLIED FOR A DUPLICATE COPY OF THE TITLE FOR THE MERCEDES BUT IT’S NOT IN HIS POSSESSION YET, TELLING THE JUDGE “THE IMPLICATION I’VE BEEN NOT DILIGENT ABOUT IT IS TOTALLY INCORRECT. THE IMPLICATION YOU MAKE IS AGAINST ME AND EVERY IMPLICATION AGAINST ME IS WRONG.”

THE JUDGE RESPONDED TELLING GIULIANI’S DEFENSE LAWYERS THAT THE NEXT TIME GIULIANI INTERRUPTED THE HEARING THAT “THE COURT WILL TAKE ACTION.”

AFTER THE HEARING, GIULIANI SPOKE TO REPORTERS OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM AND SAID HE DOESN’T REGRET SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THE GEORGIA ELECTION WORKERS, RATHER, HE REGRETS THE PERSECUTION AGAINST HIM.

“THE REALITY IS I HAVE NO CASH,” GIULIANI SAID OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE. IT’S ALL TIED UP. SO RIGHT NOW, IF I WANTED TO CALL A TAXI CAB, I CAN’T DO IT. I DON’T HAVE A CREDIT CARD. I DON’T HAVE A CHECKING ACCOUNT.”

GIULIANI IS DUE IN COURT FOR TRIAL ON JANUARY 16TH RELATED TO THE CASE. THE JUDGE WILL RULE WHETHER GIULIANI MUST SURRENDER HIS FLORIDA HOME AND FOUR NEW YORK YANKEES WORLD SERIES RINGS.

GIULIANI ASKED THE JUDGE TO PUSH BACK THE TRIAL DATE AS HE’S SET TO APPEAR IN WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S INAUGURATION.

THE JUDGE DENIED GIULIANI’S REQUEST.

“ALSO, THE TRIAL HE SET DOWN FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION, HE REALLY DOESN’T NEED TO HAVE IT BECAUSE HE’S GOING TO RULE AGAINST ME,” GIULIANI SAID. “IF HE WERE SITTING IN THAT COURTROOM AND COULDN’T FIGURE IT OUT, YOU’RE STUPID.”