Rudy Giuliani speaks outside the Fulton County jail, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Atlanta (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson).
A federal judge in Manhattan has ordered Rudy Giuliani to stop stalling and turn over the personal property he owes to two Georgia election workers to whom he owes $148 million for repeatedly claiming they rigged the 2020 presidential election vote tabulation.
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman on Friday ordered the former New York City mayor to deliver all of the property owed to Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea ArShaye “Shaye” Moss by Dec. 9, or face contempt of court charges, documents reviewed by Law&Crime show.
In a three-page order, Liman noted during an in-person hearing on Nov. 7, 2024 that he was informed that Giuliani had not turned over any of the property that was the subject of an Oct. 29, court order. Giuliani was then ordered provide everything included in a “Turnover Order” over by Nov. 1 — an order with which Liman said the stalwart Donald Trump ally still has not complied.
In light of Defendant’s noncompliance, Plaintiffs-Receivers have issued new directives to Defendant pursuant to the Turnover Order. The Court has reviewed the directives and finds that they are consistent with, and authorized by, the Turnover Order. Accordingly, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Court orders that Defendant Giuliani shall comply with the following instructions provided by the Plaintiffs- Receivers on pain of contempt:
1. By no later than 5 p.m. Friday, December 6, 2024, Mr. Giuliani shall segregate all Receivership Property located at the CTS Facility from property that is not subject to the Turnover Order;
2. By the same date and time, Mr. Giuliani shall provide a detailed list containing pictures of the segregated Receivership Property located at the CTS Facility sufficient to show the size and quantity of that property;
3. By Monday, December 9, 2024, the Receivers will provide Mr. Giuliani with the location of a New York-based storage facility, and the date and time when Mr. Giuliani shall deliver all of the Receivership Property located at the CTS Facility;
4. Mr. Giuliani shall deliver all of the Receivership Property stored at the CTS Facility to the New York-based storage facility provided by Receivers no later than Friday, December 13, 2024;
5. Defendant Giuliani, his attorneys, agents, and persons in active concert or participation with him or them shall not transfer, encumber, or interfere with any of Defendant’s
Liman’s order threatening Giuliani with contempt is the latest development in the protracted legal proceedings surrounding the massive judgment against Giuliani. The case took several bizarre turns in recent weeks, particularly when Giuliani allegedly “secreted away” all of the valuable items from his $6 million Manhattan apartment last month. The personal items were hauled to a storage facility on Long Island more than 50 miles away from New York City.
Then, just days after Giuliani made several pleas for public donations because he couldn’t afford to feed himself, his attorneys quit without informing him.
Giuliani then hired Joseph M. Cammarata, who works with the Staten Island-based law firm of Cammarata & De Meyer P.C., as his counsel. Cammarata made an immediate splash by holding a news conference outside the New York City law offices of Willkie Farr & Gallagher — the firm representing Moss and Freeman — during which he took a particularly combative stance and repeated that he wouldn’t allow Giuliani to be taken advantage of.
“They have north of 10 attorneys working on this file,” Cammarata said during the news conference. “The story of David and Goliath is going to continue. It’s one versus all, one being the United States of America versus all. This should not take place the way it’s taking place. We will not allow it.”
Cammarata’s words sparked an “online media campaign” to support the former NYC mayor using the hashtag “IStandWithRudy,” according to a filing from Moss and Freeman’s attorney.
The owner of the storage facility where Giuliani’s personal items are being kept last week then posted to social media about the case.
“This is where we are going to do it. They are going to dissect the life of Rudy Giuliani. Right here,” the owner of the America First Warehouse storage facility, “Joe the Box,” said in the video. “In front of my eyes and in front of your eyes because I’m going to film it. This is not going to happen. America has to come back real fast. Pray for Rudy Giuliani, today is his day.”
Freeman and Moss argued that a court order was needed to ensure that Giuliani could not simply “continue his approach of doing the bare minimum or less in court, while spending his time (and dispatching his counsel, friends, and advisers to do the same) attacking the judicial process, the Court, and opposing counsel in the press and on social media.”
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