Giuliani faces contempt hearing as lawyers for election workers pursue $148M judgment

NEW YORK– Rudy Giuliani showed up for a contempt hearing Friday to decide whether he evaded and misled attorneys trying to recover a $148 million judgment won on behalf of two election workers in Georgia.

Judge Lewis J. Liman has said he could decide at the hearing whether the former New York mayor will face civil penalties for failing to transfer certain assets.

Giuliani requested to appear in court remotely a day earlier, but changed his mind and came to court after the judge indicated that making a remote appearance would limit his options during the proceedings.

The lawyers allege Giuliani has shown a “consistent pattern of deliberate resistance” to Liman’s October order to give up assets after he was found liable in 2023 for defaming pollsters by to falsely accuse them of ballot tampering during the 2020 presidential election.

They said that in court earlier this week he’s turned around a Mercedes-Benz and his apartment in New York, but not the necessary paperwork to realize the assets. And they said he failed to turn in valuable watches and sports memorabilia, including a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey, as well as “a single dollar from his non-exempt cash accounts.”

Liman said in an order last week that Giuliani’s attorney should be prepared to explain why Giuliani should not be held in contempt with resulting sanctions that could make it less likely that he will be allowed to remain in Florida. A lawsuit regarding the disposition of the Palm Beach condominium and World Series rings is scheduled for mid-January.

Giuliani has maintained that the Palm Beach estate is now his personal home and should be protected from the judgment.

Giuliani’s lawyers have predicted that Giuliani will ultimately win custody of the items on appeal.