Judge holds Rudy Giuliani in contempt in Georgia election workers case
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
by Zach Schonfeld - 01/06/25 3:48 PM ET
A federal judge held Rudy Giuliani in civil contempt on Monday for failing to comply with court orders in two former Georgia election workers' efforts to collect their $146 million defamation judgment.
At the end of a two-day hearing that saw Giuliani take the stand, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman agreed with the election workers that the former New York City mayor willfully disobeyed requirements to turn over information about his professional services and messaging accounts.
"The only conclusion the court can draw, and the one which it does draw, is that defendant has been attempting to run the clock, thwarting plaintiff's efforts to get plainly relevant information by stalling," Liman announced from the bench.
As punishment, Liman said he would draw several adverse inferences against the former New York City mayor and prevent Giuliani from offering certain evidence as he attempts to hold on to his Florida condo at trial later this month.
The judge, an appointee of President-elect Trump, noted that Giuliani, once a close ally of Trump's, was until recently a barred attorney and had previously failed to comply with court orders.
"The motion comes against the backdrop of defendant ignoring his other discovery obligations. In this case, he knew of his discovery obligations and of the possible consequences of failing to comply with them," Liman said.
Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, have waged a yearlong effort to collect on their $146 million defamation judgment they won at trial in December 2023 over Giuliani's false claims that the duo engaged in mass election fraud while serving as election workers in Atlanta on election night in 2020.
Giuliani has been forced to turn over some of his most prized possessions, including his Mercedes-Benz, watches and his New York City apartment.
But the election workers have said he is continuing to stall their efforts to collect his remaining, nonexempt assets, like other watches, critical ownership documents and a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey.
At the center of the contempt hearing were Giuliani's delays in turning over information about his professional services, phone numbers and other messaging accounts — information that could shed light on whether he is entitled to retain his Florida condo as his homestead.
Giuliani took the stand for two days, once in person and once virtually, and faced questioning on whether he was defying the judge's rulings. The mayor-turned-Trump attorney contended he is substantially complying with the court-ordered turnover of his assets and is working to hand over what is left.
Explaining the delays, Giuliani has cited being bogged down with his other pending legal battles and a breakdown in his relationship with his now-former attorneys, who withdrew after accusing Giuliani of refusing to cooperate in providing electronic discovery to the election workers in their collection efforts.
Giuliani's new attorney, Joseph Cammarata, contested the attorneys' narrative at the conclusion of Monday's hearing, instead insisting his client was working to comply.
"I respectfully submit to the court to not hold the defendant in contempt, to sanction the defendant for any lack of production, of discovery responses, because documents were produced, interrogatories were answered, and dozens of items in response the documents were turned over to plaintiff," Cammarata said.
Cammarata argued that the adverse inferences would amount to a fatal blow for Giuliani in his effort to hold on to his Florida condo, his only remaining residence after he was forced to turn over his New York City apartment.
Giuliani's bid to retain the Florida property as well as his claims that the election workers aren't entitled to his World Series rings because Giuliani gifted them to his son, Andrew, are set to go to trial on Jan. 16.
"It would be the death penalty in this case," Cammarata told the judge.
Lawyers for Freeman and Moss on Monday said they sought "specific deterrence" from a ruling in their favor, while admitting that, for Giuliani specifically, that "may be something of a lost cause."
"Plaintiffs are still prepared to go to trial," said Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for election workers. "Plaintiffs are prepared to go to trial on a level playing field, where no party is permitted to offer evidence that's cherry-picked or the subject of court order disobedience."
Separately, Giuliani faces a contempt hearing in Washington, D.C., on Friday morning over accusations he has continued to make false statements about the election workers.
Ella Lee contributed reporting.
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It's about damned time.
rudy wouldn't last overnight at riker's island in general population ...
hopefully NY will release the prison surveillance video ...
Let's keep that to Giuliani's Only Fans site, okay?
with several of his former acquaintances still there, he'd have the lifespan of a fruit fly ...
Giuliani has made one outrageously stupid decision after another after joining the Trump cult.
Wonder what goes through his mind. I also wonder if he even recognizes that his problems are all a result of him repeatedly falling on his sword to earn Trump's approval and that Trump is going to continue to leave him high and dry.
This whole case is him ignoring the court orders from the very start. For some reason he can't keep his mouth shut and can't comply with the court. I have to wonder how competent he is. Is there some mental decline? I thought he was supposed to be the smart one in the room, but those days are clearly over.
Scotch.
It might be toilet gin soon.
... supercharged with viagra.
Ugh <shudder>
more living proof that wearing ridiculous comb-overs eventually leads to insanity ...
Rudy taking viagra? That would be like putting a new flag pole on a condemned building.
a new mast on a shipwreck ...
A scum bucket that has lost touch with reality. It’s quite the sight to see Rudy go from a respected mayor to what he is today, all due to his following Trump.
I don’t feel the least bit sorry for the POS.
At this point, I don't either. He's had a path to some grace, but just can't take it. I hope the next photo we see of him is him like this...
the queue for upcoming trump criminal pardons is starting to get pretty long ...
Somebody should sell tickets
a free pardon comes with a $10K purchase of trump merchandise ...
It will cost you more than that to haul them off to a landfill
put that maga shit in a pile in the backyard and put a torch to it ...
looks like rudy is headed for the italian wing of riker's island in NYC ...