NEW YORK — A settlement was reached on Thursday allowing Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, to retain his homes and personal possessions, including his cherished World Series rings, in exchange for undisclosed compensation and a commitment to refrain from making negative comments about two former election workers from Georgia. This agreement concludes all legal disputes between Giuliani and the election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who had previously secured a staggering $148 million judgment against him for defamation.
The settlement resulted in the cancellation of a trial that was set to begin on Thursday, which aimed to resolve the ownership of Giuliani’s Florida condominium and the aforementioned World Series rings, items he received as a fervent fan of the New York Yankees. Giuliani, who is now 80 years old, was supposed to be the first witness at the trial but did not appear at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Instead, attorneys for both Giuliani and the two women were engaged in discussions to reach a resolution. After several hours and without any formal court proceedings, the lawyers emerged smiling and congratulating one another. Giuliani’s son, Andrew, who had previously laid claim to the rings, expressed joy as he exited the courtroom.
However, the specific amount Giuliani agreed to pay the women remains undisclosed, along with details regarding how he plans to finance the payment and whether he has any financial assistance in doing so. Prior to the settlement, Giuliani had already begun transferring some of his assets, including a Manhattan apartment valued at roughly $5 million, a 1980 vintage Mercedes once owned by actress Lauren Bacall, numerous luxury watches, and additional personal items. His overall assets are estimated to total around $10 million.
Freeman and Moss had received their substantial judgment after alleging that Giuliani’s defamatory comments following President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss subjected them to threats and harassment. Subsequently, the two women characterized the last four years as a “living nightmare” and expressed their relief at having been able to clear their names. “Today marks a significant milestone in our journey,” they stated, mentioning that the agreement allows them to move on with their lives. They confirmed that they permitted Giuliani to keep his possessions in exchange for compensation and his assurance not to defame them again.
In a statement shared through social media, Giuliani acknowledged that while the settlement resolves the judgment against him, it does not entail any admission of wrongdoing. He conveyed satisfaction with the outcome and noted that it enabled him to retain his valuable properties. “No one should endure threats or intimidation in this manner,” he commented, referring to the toll the legal proceedings took on all involved. He also mentioned that both parties agreed to avoid making any defamatory remarks about each other in the future.
Giuliani’s attorney, Joseph Cammarata, revealed that the deal was the result of intensive discussions that extended deep into the night over the past few days. If an agreement hadn’t been reached, Giuliani would have been compelled to testify before the same judge who had found him in contempt for failing to share information about some of his assets with Freeman and Moss’s legal team. This judge had also prohibited Giuliani from presenting certain pieces of evidence due to his noncompliance.
The trial, which has now been canceled, was not aimed at revisiting whether Giuliani had defamed the election workers or the scale of the judgment against him. Instead, it sought to determine the fate of valuable assets such as his Florida condo, estimated to be worth over $3 million, and his World Series rings, which he regarded as significant mementos of his status as “New York’s No. 1 Yankee fan.” While Giuliani claimed to have established residency in Palm Beach, Florida, near Trump, the opposing attorneys argued that he had continued operating as if his New York apartment was his primary residence until he surrendered it last fall, as part of efforts to fulfill the judgment. Giuliani indicated that he transferred the rings to Andrew in 2018, and the younger Giuliani expressed belief that he would retain ownership of the rings.
Moreover, Giuliani faced contempt charges in Washington, D.C., after it was determined that he continued to malign the election workers by perpetuating false claims of their involvement in vote tampering during the 2020 presidential election. Once hailed as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership post-9/11, Giuliani also served as a personal attorney for Trump during the former president’s initial term.
As the details of the settlement were being finalized, Giuliani shared a video on social media depicting a dog named Vinny on the grounds of Trump’s Florida estate, indicating that the dog enjoyed being at Mar-a-Lago but was also eager to support Trump in D.C. It remained unclear when the video was recorded.
Amidst the chaos following the defamation verdict, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy, which halted any collection efforts against him. Following a judge’s dismissal of the case last July due to Giuliani’s lack of compliance with legal protocols, Freeman and Moss initiated a lawsuit to enforce the payment owed to them. Giuliani’s financial situation appeared precarious, as he reported in court filings last May just over $1 million in retirement savings and minimal personal and business cash reserves. Despite proclaiming he was “not impoverished,” funds and access to his remaining assets were severely limited.
Giuliani revealed during a sworn deposition that after concluding his mayoralty in 2002, he received rings from the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner commemorating the team’s four championship victories during his time in office. He insisted that he paid for the rings himself, which he claimed were just like those awarded to the players, and intended them as gifts for his son, Andrew. Giuliani approximated the total worth of the rings at around $27,000.
