Judge signals that contempt hearing for Rudy Giuliani over his assets might not go well for him
NEW YORK– A federal judge is indicating that Rudy Giuliani’s contempt hearing this Friday may not end well for the former New York City mayor and former personal attorney to newly elected President Donald Trump, as two election officials in Georgia try to collect a fine. A defamation award of $148 million they beat him.
Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan issued an order Friday dismissing what he described as attempts by Giuliani and his attorney to avoid providing information to the election workers’ lawyers.
And he said litigants should be ready at the contempt hearing to explain why he shouldn’t grant a request from attorneys for the two election workers that he would draw adverse inferences from evidence in the case that targeted Giuliani’s Palm condominium Beach, Florida, would be in danger. of surrender to satisfy the libel penalty.
The judge also said he may rule on the contempt request during the hearing.
Giuliani has maintained that the Palm Beach estate is now his personal home and should be protected from the judgment. He will be tried before Liman on January 16 for the disposition of his hometown in Florida And World Series rings.
Attorneys for the election workers filed the contempt petition after saying Giuliani failed to turn over a lease on his Manhattan apartment, a Mercedes, several watches and jewelry, a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey and other baseball moments. The judge has ordered Giuliani will transfer the items in October.
Giuliani’s lawyers have predicted that Giuliani will ultimately win custody of the items on appeal. A request for comment was sent to the attorney for Giuliani, who was scheduled to be deposed on Friday.
The contempt hearing follows a controversial hearing in November in which Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, became angry with the judge and said Liman treated him unfairly.
Giuliani was found liable last year for defaming two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election.
said the women they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they smuggled in ballots in suitcases, counted the ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.