Giuliani asset seizure/ Giuliani defamation lawsuit/ Rudy Giuliani apartment access/ Newslooks/ NEW YORK/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/Lawyers and a moving company entered Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment on Thursday after the former New York mayor missed a deadline to transfer assets to Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation lawsuit against him. The court-ordered handover includes Giuliani’s high-value items, including his apartment, memorabilia, and a luxury car. Giuliani’s legal team disputes the terms while his defense fund appeals for donations to help fight the judgment.
Lawyers Access Giuliani’s NYC Apartment After Missed Deadline: Quick Look
- Missed Deadline: Giuliani failed to transfer assets to two election workers awarded a $148 million defamation judgment.
- Court Order: U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ordered Giuliani to surrender valuable items, including his NYC apartment.
- Disputed Exchange: Giuliani’s team claims readiness, but plaintiffs say no items were handed over, prompting legal access to his property.
- Giuliani’s Reaction: He argues the ruling is unfair and expects a reversal on appeal, while appealing for public donations.
- Further Action: A status report is due Monday, with a hearing set for November 7 if asset transfers remain incomplete.
Lawyers Gain Access to Giuliani’s NYC Apartment After Asset Handoff Fails
Deep Look
On Thursday, attorneys and a moving company representative were granted access to Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment after the former mayor and Trump attorney missed a court-ordered deadline to turn over assets to two former Georgia election workers. The workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, were awarded $148 million in damages in a defamation lawsuit against Giuliani, who accused them of election fraud after the 2020 presidential race.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman had set the asset transfer deadline for Tuesday, ordering Giuliani to surrender various personal items. These assets include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a Mercedes formerly owned by movie icon Lauren Bacall, a Yankees jersey signed by Joe DiMaggio, 26 luxury watches, and several sentimental keepsakes. With no assets handed over by Tuesday, Judge Liman authorized attorneys for Freeman and Moss to access the property and assess the items for collection and potential sale.
Dispute Over Transfer Process and Asset Locations
Attorneys for both parties have exchanged accusations over who is responsible for the failed asset transfer. Freeman and Moss’s attorney, Aaron Nathan, stated in a court filing that Giuliani’s legal team couldn’t answer basic questions about the whereabouts of his belongings. Conversely, Giuliani’s attorney, Kenneth Caruso, contends that Giuliani was ready to comply but had received no clear instructions on how to proceed with the transfer.
Giuliani himself weighed in on Thursday from West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was casting his vote. He said he felt unfairly treated in the defamation case, asserting that he didn’t get a fair chance to defend himself and expressed hope that his appeal would reverse the ruling. “It will probably be one of the most unfair trials in American history,” Giuliani remarked, likening it to criminal cases involving the January 6 Capitol rioters.
According to court records, Giuliani had previously failed to provide requested information about his assets during the initial lawsuit proceedings. As a result, a separate judge found him liable for defamation before the damages trial, which eventually concluded with the $148 million award to Freeman and Moss.
Implications of the Court Ruling and Upcoming Actions
Judge Liman has directed both parties to submit a status report by Monday, detailing any asset exchanges that occur before then. Should the assets remain unaccounted for, Liman has scheduled a status hearing for November 7 to discuss next steps.
Giuliani’s legal team is appealing the defamation judgment, with the case now before a federal appeals court in Washington. His attorneys argue that the items in his possession, including his New York apartment, should not be turned over while the appeal is pending. They have also sought to protect his $3 million Palm Beach condo and several New York Yankees World Series rings that Giuliani received as mayor.
Public Response and Fundraising Efforts
In response to the defamation ruling, Giuliani’s legal defense fund has stepped up efforts to raise money, with emails sent out on Thursday asking supporters for financial help. “They want my home, my belongings, even all of the nostalgic keepsakes that I’ve collected throughout my 80 years of life,” the email plea read, suggesting that “Deep State plans” were targeting Giuliani.
Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, claimed in a recent statement that the former mayor is “being unfairly punished by partisan, political activists who are trying to make an example out of him.”
Background on the Defamation Case
The legal battle stems from Giuliani’s allegations that Freeman and Moss engaged in ballot fraud, accusations that were central to his claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump. Giuliani repeatedly accused Freeman and Moss of bringing illegal ballots into a Georgia polling station in suitcases and tampering with voting machines—claims that were widely debunked. Freeman and Moss filed a defamation suit, arguing that Giuliani’s statements incited death threats and severe emotional distress.
A jury in Washington ruled in their favor, awarding them $148 million in damages last year. Legal experts say the defamation judgment reflects the seriousness of the harm caused by Giuliani’s claims, which they argue went beyond free speech and contributed to real threats and damage to the plaintiffs’ lives.
As the appeal progresses, Giuliani faces the potential loss of high-value assets if his legal team cannot negotiate a satisfactory resolution with Freeman and Moss’s attorneys. His spokesperson remains hopeful that the appeal will be successful, though the likelihood of asset collection raises challenges for Giuliani, who now finds his long-held possessions at the center of a protracted legal battle.