NEW YORK, USA — A federal judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor and one-time attorney for former President Donald Trump, to transfer his luxury Manhattan apartment and several high-value personal items to two Georgia election workers he defamed following the 2020 presidential election.
The ruling, issued Tuesday, October 22, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman, requires Giuliani to relinquish personal property including cash accounts, jewelry, luxury collectibles, and his legal claim for unpaid attorneys’ fees, as well as his interest in his $5.7 million co-op apartment on Madison Avenue.
These assets are to be placed into a receivership within seven days to begin satisfying a $146 million judgment awarded to Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, in a defamation lawsuit.
Freeman and Moss filed their legal action in August, seeking to seize Giuliani’s assets after he failed to pay damages awarded to them for defamation.
Giuliani had falsely accused the two election workers of committing election fraud during the 2020 vote-counting process in Georgia.
“The Court finds that Plaintiffs are entitled to the swift liquidation of the defendant’s assets in order to ensure the satisfaction of their judgment,” wrote Judge Liman.
He noted the importance of selling high-value and unique items, such as Giuliani’s collection of luxury watches and sports memorabilia, in a manner that maximizes their value.
Included among the assets to be transferred are Giuliani’s watches—one of which was a gift from the French president—as well as a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey and a 1980 Mercedes-Benz once owned by actress Lauren Bacall.
However, certain disputed items, such as Giuliani’s three New York Yankees World Series rings, were excluded from the immediate turnover after his son, Andrew Giuliani, claimed they had been gifted to him.
Giuliani’s legal claim to $2 million in unpaid attorneys’ fees from the Trump campaign, a central part of the receivership, is also expected to be pursued by Freeman and Moss.
Giuliani had reportedly struggled to meet his financial obligations after filing for bankruptcy protection, which a judge dismissed in August due to the former mayor’s failure to disclose accurate financial information.
Giuliani’s allegations against Freeman and Moss began after Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia, during which he accused the pair of passing USB drives “like vials of heroin or cocaine” in footage he circulated widely.
Moss later clarified that the object in question was, in fact, a ginger mint. Despite a thorough investigation by Georgia’s State Election Board clearing the women of any wrongdoing, Giuliani continued to press the false claims, leading to widespread harassment and threats against them.
In his ruling, Judge Liman emphasized that a receiver would be responsible for ensuring the liquidation of Giuliani’s assets “is accomplished quickly,” with a focus on maximizing their sale value.
Aaron Nathan, an attorney for Freeman and Moss, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.
“We are proud that our clients will finally begin to receive some of the compensation to which they are entitled for Giuliani’s actions,” Nathan said in a statement Tuesday.
“This outcome should send a powerful message that there is a price to pay for those who choose to intentionally spread disinformation.”
A representative for Giuliani did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Giuliani’s legal woes have escalated since his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He has been stripped of his law licenses in New York and Washington, D.C., and is facing criminal charges in both Georgia and Arizona, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
