NEW YORK — During a contempt hearing on Friday, Rudy Giuliani provided three hours of testimony that appeared to leave a favorable impression on Judge Lewis J. Liman. He asserted that he is not deliberately concealing assets from attorneys working to collect a $148 million judgment on behalf of two election workers from Georgia.
The judge seemed less focused on deeming Giuliani in contempt for not presenting certain assets, including a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey that Giuliani claimed last to be seen in his Manhattan apartment around September 11. The judge requested that Giuliani complete his testimony on Monday via remote appearance from his home in Florida, where he will need to clarify why some assets and related documentation have been challenging to locate.
When the judge inquired whether the plaintiffs were more interested in asset recovery than pursuing contempt charges, attorney Meryl Conant Governski acknowledged this, stating that contempt was not their main objective. Governski approached the questioning in a straightforward manner, allowing Giuliani to express the challenges he faces due to multiple court orders in various cases.
At certain points, the judge intervened with direct remarks, one notably stating to Giuliani, “You’re in violation of a court order at least in regards to that,” referring to the missing DiMaggio jersey. Giuliani insisted he was not intentionally withholding assets and presented himself as forgetful and somewhat disorganized, attributing the management of his assets to others.
He noted that the two weeks he was allotted to respond to asset requests seemed quite short, especially when compared to the timelines he faced in numerous other ongoing legal matters. Giuliani mentioned that he had turned over all valuable watches except for a 120-year-old gold watch inherited from his grandfather. “I was holding it so it didn’t get lost,” he explained, expressing concern that it could go missing if handed over.
When prompted by the judge about the requirement to surrender the watch, Giuliani stated he wasn’t trying to hide it and would be willing to relinquish it if he could secure assurances that it would be kept safely. He reflected on his time with the New York Yankees, claiming to have owned as many as 100 various team items, most of which he has since given away, including signed photographs featuring baseball legends Reggie Jackson, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Babe Ruth.
“I get confused about what I have and don’t have,” Giuliani admitted, mentioning that he lost some possessions during his most recent divorce six years prior. The attorneys representing the election workers allege that Giuliani has demonstrated a “consistent pattern of willful defiance” against Judge Liman’s order in October, which mandated the turnover of assets after he was held liable in 2023 for defaming the plaintiffs by falsely accusing them of ballot tampering related to the 2020 presidential election.
Court documents submitted this week by the plaintiffs indicate that while Giuliani has surrendered a Mercedes-Benz and his New York apartment, he has not provided the necessary paperwork to realize value from these assets. They identified that he has failed to hand over any watches and sports memorabilia, including the DiMaggio jersey, nor has he submitted “a single dollar from his nonexempt cash accounts.”
Judge Liman recently issued an order requiring Giuliani’s counsel to articulate a valid explanation as to why he should not be deemed in contempt, with the potential for sanctions that could jeopardize his ability to retain his Florida residence. A trial concerning the future of his Palm Beach condominium and World Series rings is scheduled for mid-January. Giuliani contends that this Palm Beach property is now his primary residence and should be protected from the judgment. His legal team maintains that they anticipate victory in the appeal concerning the custody of these items.
