Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, is asking a federal judge to let him attend an upcoming court hearing remotely instead of showing up in person. He says his health issues and potential safety risks make traveling too dangerous. Giuliani, now 80 years old, has pointed to his medical conditions, including severe knee problems (one knee already operated on and the other needing surgery), a lung condition requiring an inhaler, and serious heart issues that required stents. He says these make traveling particularly hard.
His lawyers also raised safety concerns, claiming Giuliani has received multiple death threats, some tied to his criticism of the Iranian government. With heightened tensions globally and recent terror concerns, they argue it’s reasonable to limit his travel.
The hearing, scheduled for Friday in Washington, D.C., is part of a legal battle with Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss. The two Georgia election workers sued Giuliani for defamation, accusing him of spreading false claims about their involvement in voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani already lost a defamation case against them, with a $148 million verdict, and agreed to stop making baseless accusations against them. However, Freeman and Moss now say he violated that agreement by repeating those same lies on his nightly show.
For the hearing, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell has allowed Giuliani to attend remotely, but there’s a catch. He must submit a sworn statement saying he hasn’t traveled anywhere for the past 30 days and won’t travel for the next 30. That would mean missing former President Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration, should Giuliani have planned to attend.
Freeman and Moss allege Giuliani continued to defame them even after being legally bound to stop. They point to comments he made recently, claiming their actions during the election were suspicious and accusing them of tampering with votes. These are the same falsehoods that landed him in trouble before.
Now, the court will consider whether Giuliani should face penalties for breaking the previous agreement. Freeman and Moss want sanctions, including fines, to ensure he complies with the court’s order.
Giuliani’s attorneys insist his health and safety concerns are valid reasons to allow him to stay in Florida and join the hearing virtually. They say his age, medical conditions, and security risks make travel too much of a burden, requiring extra security measures wherever he goes.
The court is set to weigh these arguments and decide if Giuliani’s remote participation is reasonable. Meanwhile, Freeman and Moss are hoping for clear consequences if the judge rules Giuliani broke his earlier promise. The outcome will determine whether Giuliani faces more legal trouble—or if he can avoid making the trip to Washington, D.C. entirely.