A Manhattan federal judge will decide on Friday whether to hold Rudy Giuliani in civil contempt. Two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, accuse Giuliani of defying orders to surrender property as part of a $148 million defamation judgment against him.
What is Contempt of Court? READ HERE
Giuliani Faces Defamation Liability After Admitting Falsehoods
In 2021, Freeman and Moss filed a lawsuit against Giuliani, claiming he destroyed their reputations by spreading false accusations. Giuliani alleged they attempted to help Joe Biden steal the 2020 presidential election. After two years of legal battles, Giuliani admitted to making defamatory statements about the mother-daughter duo. A judge subsequently held him liable for defamation because he failed to provide electronic records requested by Freeman and Moss.
A Washington, D.C., jury later ordered Giuliani to pay $73 million in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages. Despite this ruling, Freeman and Moss now argue that Giuliani has ignored multiple orders from U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman to relinquish his Manhattan apartment, a 1980 Mercedes, sports memorabilia, and details about his Palm Beach, Florida, condominium.
Giuliani Denies Willful Disobedience Amid Mounting Legal Troubles
Giuliani claims the election workers’ actions have disrupted his daily life, making it difficult for him to provide the necessary documents. He insists he has not deliberately ignored any court orders. Giuliani also says he relied on his former attorneys, Kenneth Caruso and David Labkowski, to meet the information requests. However, these lawyers withdrew from the case in November, citing Giuliani’s refusal to cooperate.
In a recent court filing, Giuliani’s new lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, argued that the case had shifted into a political dispute. “This case is not really about the judgment,” Cammarata asserted. “This is a battle between the left and the right.”
Judge to Rule on Ownership of Palm Beach Condominium
Freeman and Moss have urged Judge Liman to find that Giuliani did not treat his Palm Beach condominium as his primary residence. If the judge agrees, the property could become part of the defamation award.
A contempt ruling in Manhattan could deepen Giuliani’s fall from grace. Once celebrated as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership after the Sept. 11 attacks, Giuliani now faces legal and professional consequences. He has already lost his law license for spreading false claims about the 2020 election and faces criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona for aiding Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the election results.
As the judge prepares to rule, the case highlights Giuliani’s ongoing legal challenges and the broader political tensions surrounding the fallout from the 2020 election.
