Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been ordered by a federal judge to turn over prized possessions, including a car and a watch inherited from his grandfather, as part of a $148 million defamation judgment against him, The Associated Press reports.
The order comes after Giuliani’s lawyers failed to meet a previous deadline to surrender assets, with the judge stating that “they have to pay the debt.”
Giuliani, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, maintains his innocence and claims the judgment is a “political vendetta.” He vowed to appeal the ruling and asserted his confidence in its eventual reversal, telling reporters, “This is a case of political persecution.”
The defamation suit was filed by Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, two Georgia election workers who were falsely accused by Giuliani of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani’s accusations, made as part of Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of a stolen election, led to death threats and harassment against the women.
Despite a court order, Giuliani’s lawyers have been slow to surrender assets, prompting Judge Lewis J. Liman to issue a new deadline. This includes a 1980 Mercedes once owned by actress Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, numerous luxury watches, and other valuable belongings.
The judge rejected Giuliani’s attorney’s attempt to exclude the watch from the order, stating that “it doesn’t matter that it’s in the form of a watch or a watch that somebody passes down to him.”
While Giuliani maintains that he has cooperated with the court, attorneys for Freeman and Moss allege that he has been evasive, moving assets from his Manhattan apartment and only recently revealing the existence of bank accounts containing $40,000 in cash.
Giuliani, who has yet to express remorse for defaming the women, asserted that he is “not offering myself or anything,” but would be willing to rejoin the Trump administration if requested.
