A federal judge found former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court on Monday for not complying with a court order to transfer assets. The decision relates to a previous judgment in favor of two former election workers from Georgia—Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss—who say Giuliani defamed them. Giuliani was ordered to pay the two women an astonishing $148 million in damages.
“The defendant willfully violated an unambiguous order of the court,” U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman–a Trump-appointed Democrat–ruled from the bench in his Manhattan federal courthouse. Late last year, Giuliani, 80, was disbarred in Washington, D.C., over the defamation lawsuit’s results and other public statements.
The judgment requiring Giuliani to turn over certain assets stemmed from allegations made during the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. These allegations led to a lawsuit by the two workers, who claimed they were defamed by false accusations related to ballot fraud. Despite the court’s directive to settle the issue by transferring assets, Giuliani has reportedly not fulfilled these obligations, resulting in the contempt ruling.
Giuliani, known as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has been involved in several legal battles over the past few years. However, the former New York City Mayor and attorney for Donald J. Trump has been one of the more prominent targets of Democrat-backed lawfare efforts stemming from Republican challenges to the 2020 election results.
Further legal proceedings in the case are expected as the court considers the conditions of enforcement for its judgment.
