World

Giuliani Faces Deadline to Surrender Valuables or Risk Contempt Charges

2024-11-07

Author: Sophie

Rudy Giuliani, once a key attorney for Donald Trump, has been ordered by a federal judge to turn over his classic car, along with other high-value items, to the women he defamed during his controversial claims about the 2020 election results. The deadline set by Judge Lewis Liman is the end of next week. Failure to comply could lead to contempt sanctions against him.

At a court hearing in Manhattan, Giuliani exhibited frustration as he grappled with the judge's strict instructions regarding the nearly $150 million owed to Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Previously, the judge had already mandated the transfer of personal possessions by last Tuesday, including two dozen luxury watches, furniture, and sports memorabilia. Giuliani's legal team attempted to argue that their client wanted to comply but was uncertain about logistics.

Judge Liman was firm, warning Giuliani that he could face serious legal consequences if he fails to deliver the items he was ordered to provide. "The law is the law. I don’t apply it differently to your client," he emphasized, pressing Giuliani’s attorney, Kenneth Caruso, to ensure his client understood the seriousness of the situation.

Tension rose in the courtroom when Caruso labeled Freeman and Moss as "vindictive" for their actions in the case, to which Liman swiftly countered, calling the statement preposterous. Giuliani caused a stir when he requested to retract his name from a legal statement that claimed he was the only person aware of where his assets were located. The judge dismissed this notion, remarking it was "farcical" to think Giuliani had lost track of valuables that he had previously acknowledged.

Giuliani expressed concerns about naming individuals who might have information regarding his possessions, suggesting that those individuals were facing undue pressure from lawyers. Judge Liman chastised him, stating, "You don’t have the right to exercise self-help," reinforcing that Giuliani must provide full disclosure.

Other elements of Giuliani’s case reveal that many of his valuables, including an extensive collection of designer watches and significant furniture pieces, are housed in his Palm Beach condo, valued at $3.5 million. Additionally, some memorabilia, including a jersey signed by baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, resides in a storage unit in Long Island, where the manager is currently unreachable.

Compounding matters, Freeman and Moss's legal team is actively working to secure Giuliani’s $6 million Manhattan condo, which was reportedly in a near-empty state when accessed recently. The duo is not just pursuing the assets, but also contemplating legal action to recover the approximately $2 million Giuliani claims he was not compensated for his work on Trump's 2020 campaign.

When asked if he believes Trump might lend him support, Giuliani responded, "Mr. Trump doesn’t have to help me get out of it. All he has to do is straighten out the legal system, and you’ll find that bringing this case was a complete abuse of process." He criticized the $145 million judgment against him, calling it "ridiculous" and indicative of bias against Republicans.

As this high-stakes legal battle unfolds, all eyes are on the clock—will Giuliani meet the judge's demands before time runs out? Stay tuned as we cover the latest developments in this continuing saga.