Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and businessman John Catsimatidis pose for a group photograph during a press conference at the Women’s Republican Club, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
In an aggressive move, a couple of weeks after Rudy Giuliani announced that he was fired from his radio show, bankruptcy lawyers revealed they intend to serve a subpoena on Republican billionaire and WABC owner John Catsimatidis for documents.
The notice filed Monday seeks to uncover “all documents and communications” about a range of issues, including the circumstances of Giuliani’s firing and his statements about the Georgia election workers the former NYC mayor was found liable for defaming.
Attorneys for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors are looking to get documents from Catsimatidis on: the “production or distribution of Uncovering the Truth, The Rudy Giuliani Show or any other production or appearance concerning the Debtor, whether on WABC Radio or any other Media Outlet”; Giuliani’s “media appearances”; Giuliani’s “statements” about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss; “proposed contracts or agreements, whether oral or written, formal or informal” in connection with Giuliani’s radio work, “business dealings, advertisements, endorsements or any other sources of income, revenue or other compensation”; and documents that would reveal “income, revenue or other compensation” Giuliani, his companies, or related entities gained from “advertising associated with Uncovering the Truth, The Rudy Giuliani Show or any other appearances or productions by the Debtor on WABC Radio or any other Media Outlet.”
Furthermore, the lawyers want to get their hands on internal WABC documents about Giuliani’s firing and the “ultimatum” that Catsimatidis said Giuliani issued.
After Giuliani was fired, he blasted Catsimatidis for no longer airing “Uncovering the Truth” as WABC’s owner said Giuliani left him with “no choice” since he’d been warned not to talk about the 2020 election given Dominion Voting Systems’ ongoing defamation litigation.
Giuliani countered by saying that he “never promised not to talk about the 2020 election.”
“It’s the number one topic I discussed on air. I would NEVER agree to such overly-broad restrictions on speech,” he said. “I wish [WABC owner] John [Catsimatidis] would be honest about what’s going on here—he’s caving to pressure from the Democrat Party machine.”
In other and much more extensive remarks, Catsimatidis made the claim that Giuliani first issued “an ultimatum” in early May.
“He texted me that I had to double his airtime and compensation by May 28,” Catsimatidis said in a publicly posted statement on Giuliani’s ouster, saying that he’s supported Giuliani for four decades and wouldn’t lightly dismiss him.
In his statement, Catsimatidis referred to documents, including the warning letter and a Giuliani text that said “I am disregarding every order given in this letter.”
“I sent Rudy a letter reminding him not to speak about the legitimacy of the election results on our air, yet just hours later, during his 3:00 p.m. show that day, he did just that,” he said, claiming that another “ultimatum” followed.
Catsimatidis added that he tried to resolve issues calmly but to no avail.
“Rudy, I love you. I’ve supported you for 40 years. I look forward to sitting down together one on one,” the billionaire said he texted Giuliani before the latter began railing against WABC and encouraging hostile workplace environment litigation.
“Given his recent ultimatum, his direct violation of an agreement he signed to not talk about electronic voting machines, and his absolute refusal to abide by company policy, the company had no choice but to suspend him last Friday, pending further discussions,” Catsimatidis said. “All we wanted to do was suspend him until we could have a sit-down meeting in person, as I communicated with him. However, his actions this weekend appeared to be an attempt to force my hand.”
Bankruptcy lawyers are now hoping to use the public blow-up over the firing against Giuliani in court.
Giuliani political advisor Ted Goodman told Law&Crime that the subpoena effort is “yet another example of the weaponization of our courts, where the process is the punishment.”
“There’s no reason to subpoena Mr. Catsimatidis other than to bother both him and the mayor. The committee is hoping to create potentially new headaches and issues for the mayor,” he said. “In any event, this committee is infected with a monumental conflict of interest and it has to be resolved before anything sensible can be done.”
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