Politico: Giuliani ordered to hand over property to pay defamation suit

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has been ordered by a federal judge to hand over a significant portion of his property, including his luxury Upper East Side apartment, to two Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation case against him. The order, issued on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman, is a major blow to Giuliani, who has so far refused to pay any part of the massive judgment.

The list of assets Giuliani must surrender includes not only his apartment but also a Mercedes-Benz, over a dozen high-end watches, cash, and a $2 million legal claim tied to unpaid attorney fees from the Trump 2020 campaign and the Republican National Committee. The former mayor has seven days to comply.

This decision comes after Giuliani was sued by Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two Georgia election workers whom he falsely accused of manipulating ballots during the 2020 election. His baseless claims of election fraud led to widespread threats and harassment against the women, impacting their personal and professional lives. A jury found Giuliani’s allegations defamatory, resulting in the hefty $148 million verdict.

Giuliani’s financial woes deepened when a judge dismissed his bankruptcy case in July, citing his lack of cooperation and failure to provide a clear picture of his assets. This dismissal allowed Freeman and Moss, two of his largest creditors, to go after his property.

The women have also requested the judge to turn over Giuliani’s Palm Beach condo, but that decision has been postponed. Freeman and Moss claim Giuliani is trying to shield the Florida property from creditors by falsely declaring it his primary residence to gain homestead protection under Florida law.

As of now, Giuliani’s representatives have not commented on the ruling.