Rudy Giuliani ordered to appear in court after missing deadline to turn over Mercedes, other assets

A judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to look successful a New York courtroom to explicate why he missed a deadline to surrender his belongings — including a Mercedes that appeared to beryllium nan aforesaid car he was spotted successful Tuesday — arsenic portion of a $148 cardinal defamation judgment.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued nan bid precocious Monday aft lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss — 2 erstwhile Georgia predetermination workers who were awarded nan monolithic judgement — reported to nan tribunal that they went to Giuliani’s Manhattan flat past week to spot what assets were there, but that it had been cleared out.

Liman had group an Oct. 29 deadline for Giuliani to surrender galore of his possessions to representatives for Freeman and Moss, but nary of nan items has been turned complete yet, lawyers for nan erstwhile predetermination workers said Monday. The judge ordered Giuliani and his lawyers to look successful tribunal connected Thursday.

Those possessions see his $5 cardinal Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes erstwhile owned by movie prima Lauren Bacall, and a assortment of different belongings — from his tv to a garment signed by New York Yankees fable Joe DiMaggio to 26 luxury watches.

On Tuesday, media reports showed Giuliani successful nan rider spot of what appeared to beryllium a 1980 Mercedes, pinch different man driving, astatine a polling spot successful Palm Beach, Florida, wherever Donald Trump formed his ballot. It could not beryllium instantly confirmed if it was nan aforesaid car he was expected to move over.

Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss, pointed retired nan reports of Giuliani successful nan Mercedes to nan judge successful a tribunal filing Tuesday.

“It is clear that Mr. Giuliani is flouting his obligations nether nan Court’s Turnover and Receivership Order,” Nathan wrote.

Michael Ragusa, caput of Giuliani’s security, sent a connection to The Associated Press referencing nan 1980 Mercedes.

“Mayor Giuliani, is an 80-year-old man pinch a bad knee and 9/11-related lung disease, he relies connected this conveyance arsenic his superior intends of proscription successful Florida, wherever location is nary wide transit strategy for illustration New York City’s,” Ragusa wrote. “The measurement he is being pushed toward poorness by those targeting him — aft each he has done for this state — is appalling and it is intelligibly politically motivated.”

Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, added that Giuliani’s lawyers person “requested archiving to transportation complete nan title of nan vehicle, and haven’t heard backmost from opposing counsel.”

The judge primitively scheduled a position convention by telephone for Thursday, but changed it to an in-person proceeding and specifically ordered Giuliani to look successful personification successful consequence to nan study by Freeman and Moss’ attorneys.

Goodman said Giuliani has made his possessions disposable to Freeman and Moss. He did not straight reply questions astir why nary assets person been turned complete truthful far.

“Opposing counsel, acting either negligently aliases deliberately successful a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate Mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless,” Goodman said successful a statement. “This is conscionable different measurement that they’ve weaponized our once-sacred justness system. It should interest each and each American.”

Goodman added that Giuliani has put “a fewer items” successful retention complete nan past twelvemonth and “anything other removed was related to his 2 livestream programs that watercourse each and each weeknight crossed his societal media platforms.”

Lawyers for Giuliani did not return email messages seeking remark Monday nighttime aliases Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday afternoon, Liman rejected a petition made earlier successful nan time by Giuliani’s lawyer, Kenneth Caruso, to either postpone nan in-person proceeding to adjacent week aliases clasp it by telephone Thursday arsenic primitively planned. Caruso said successful a tribunal filing that Giuliani had a “contractual commitment” to execute a unrecorded power broadcast connected Thursday and Friday evenings.

“In bid to support this commitment, he needs to beryllium successful his condo successful Palm Beach, wherever he has his broadcasting equipment,” Caruso wrote, referring to Giuliani’s spot successful Florida. “We statement that broadcasts, specified arsenic those described above, presently supply Mr. Giuliani’s only root of earned income.”

Liman turned down nan request, saying successful a ruling posted connected nan tribunal lawsuit docket that “no bully origin has been provided.”

Giuliani, nan erstwhile New York City politician and longtime state of Trump, was recovered liable for defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of ballot fraud during nan 2020 election. Giuliani accused them of sneaking successful ballots successful suitcases, counting ballots aggregate times and tampering pinch voting machines, arsenic he pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated predetermination fraud allegations.

Freeman and Moss said nan lies led to decease threats against them that made them fearfulness for their lives. A assemblage awarded them $148 cardinal past year, and they person been seeking to return possession of galore of Giuliani’s assets successful nan tribunal lawsuit successful New York.

Nathan said successful tribunal documents that Giuliani and his lawyers person refused to reply basal questions astir nan location of astir of nan valuables taxable to nan tribunal order.

On Thursday, lawyers for nan women were given access to Giuliani’s New York flat successful bid to assess, on pinch a moving institution representative, nan proscription and retention needs for nan spot meant to beryllium turned over.

Nathan wrote that nan residence was already “substantially empty” erstwhile nan group arrived and that they were told astir of nan contents of nan flat had been moved retired astir 4 weeks prior.

That, Nathan said, includes nan “vast majority” of nan valuables known to beryllium stored there, including art, sports memorabilia and costly furniture.

Giuliani’s lawyers person based on — truthful acold unsuccessfully — that Freeman and Moss should not beryllium allowed to get and waste his belongings while his entreaty is pending successful a national tribunal successful Washington.