NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani is gearing up for a challenging week as he faces a trial to determine whether he must surrender his Florida condominium and three World Series championship rings. This comes after he was found in contempt of court on two separate occasions within the same week, both of which pertain to a $148 million defamation case brought against him by two election workers from Georgia.
The former mayor of New York City has been accused of making false statements regarding the election workers, asserting that they engaged in corrupt practices during the counting of ballots in the contentious 2020 presidential election. A judge in Washington ruled against him on Friday due to repeated assertions of this nature. Earlier in the week, a New York judge also found Giuliani in contempt for his failure to provide adequate evidence concerning his assets.
This Thursday, the 80-year-old Giuliani will stand trial in Manhattan to determine if he can maintain his claimed residence in a Palm Beach, Florida, condominium, which he asserts he established as his permanent home last year. Additionally, the court must decide whether he is obligated to hand over three World Series rings that he contends he gifted to his son in 2018. The trial is presided over by Judge Lewis J. Liman, who was responsible for the contempt ruling earlier, setting a challenging precedent for Giuliani.
Liman’s contempt ruling includes a variety of restrictions that appear to undermine Giuliani’s case in upcoming proceedings. He has ordered that Giuliani is barred from presenting any text messages or emails to demonstrate his alleged move to Florida, as he failed to submit such evidence during the pretrial exchange. Furthermore, Liman indicated that he can draw negative conclusions regarding any “gaps” in the evidence linked to Giuliani’s noncompliance, which could significantly impact claims regarding his professional associates in Florida.
Giuliani has acknowledged that he did not supply all requested information during the case, arguing that the requests were overly broad or inappropriate, suggesting that they could be traps set by the plaintiffs’ attorneys. His representatives have not provided a comment following a request on Saturday. During a November hearing, Giuliani claimed to be “not impoverished,” attributing the constraints on his assets to various legal challenges he is encountering across multiple states.
In a recent order, the judge also called for all parties involved to determine whether the World Series rings should be placed in secure storage with the court until ownership can be established. Giuliani’s son, Andrew, claims the rings are safely stored in the closet at their New York City home, which features a doorman. The ruling concerning securing the rings arose following Giuliani’s testimony about a valuable Joe DiMaggio jersey that he says has gone missing from his apartment in Manhattan over the last four months.
In written submissions, attorneys representing the election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, challenged Giuliani’s assertion that he transferred the rings to his son in 2018. They pointed to documents filed with the bankruptcy court in 2023 which listed the rings among Giuliani’s assets, providing compelling evidence against his claims.
The condominium in Florida and the World Series rings represent the main assets still under contention in a larger portfolio reportedly valued at over $10 million. The Palm Beach property is estimated to be worth more than $3 million. Giuliani has already surrendered several other assets, including a $5 million apartment in New York City, a vintage Mercedes once owned by actress Lauren Bacall, and various luxury items.
The defamation lawsuit was initiated by Freeman and Moss, who claim Giuliani’s defamatory comments about the 2020 election being fraudulent incited threats against their lives, resulting in significant distress and apprehension.
