Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and one-time personal attorney to Donald Trump, has been ordered by a federal judge to appear in court on January 3. The hearing will address claims of contempt after two election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, won a $148 million defamation case against him. Giuliani had falsely accused the workers of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. He has called the case political persecution, insisting that he’s being unfairly punished.
The defamation case has taken a toll on Giuliani, not just financially but also legally. As part of the judgment, his assets, including a New York apartment lease, a Mercedes, some watches, jewelry, and even a Joe DiMaggio-signed shirt, have come under scrutiny. Giuliani’s attorneys believe he will eventually regain these items through an appeal. Attorney Joseph Cammarata is confident Giuliani will prevail at the contempt hearing, calling it another example of what he terms “lawfare” by the election workers’ legal team.
In the meantime, Giuliani has taken to GoFundMe to raise money, claiming he’s struggling to cover basic living expenses. “They’ve seized everything I have, which wasn’t much to begin with,” he wrote. “I need legal representation against these evil people.” He also shared a heartbreaking update: “I can’t even buy food.”
The upcoming contempt hearing is the result of a heated session in November, where Giuliani had a tense exchange with U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman. The judge warned Giuliani about interrupting courtroom proceedings, firmly stating that such behavior would not be tolerated. “He’s not going to be permitted to speak out of turn again,” Liman said, adding that the court would take action if interruptions continued.
Giuliani’s legal and financial struggles come amid broader challenges, as he continues to face fallout from his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The January 3 hearing is expected to shed more light on the next steps in this high-profile case.
