Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani leaves the New York Federal Courthouse on November 7, 2024 in New York City. Giuliani appeared in a New York City courtroom after missing the deadline to turn over assets as part of $148 million defamation judgment …
NEW YORK CITY - Former New York Mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani says he's struggling after a judge ordered him to quickly turn over his prized assets to two Fulton County election workers as part of a $148 million defamation judgment.
Judge Lewis J. Liman ordered Giuliani last week to hand over the assets, which include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.
Lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, say Giuliani has mostly dodged turning over assets by an Oct. 29 deadline, alleging that they visited his Manhattan apartment and found it had been cleared out weeks earlier.
After the hearing in Manhattan federal court, Giuliani said he was the victim of a "political vendetta" and he was "pretty sure" the judgment could be reversed.
"This is a case of political persecution," he told reporters, citing the size of what he described as a punitive judgment. "There isn’t a person (who) doesn’t know the judgment is ridiculous."
His lawyers have so far argued unsuccessfully that Giuliani should not be forced to turn over his belongings while he appeals the judgment.
Writing on the social media platform X on Tuesday, Giuliani shared a link to a fundraiser for his legal representation, describing the judge and lawyers for Freeman and Moss as "evil people."
"They have seized all my money which wasn't much," he wrote. "I can't buy food."
The online fundraiser has already raised more than $120,000 of its $250,000 goal.
Giuliani was found liable for defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of ballot fraud as he pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud allegations during the 2020 campaign.
The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani accused the two of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.