Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and personal lawyer to Donald Trump, is set for a contempt hearing on Friday in Washington, D.C. A federal judge will decide whether Giuliani violated a court order by continuing to make false claims about two Georgia election workers. This hearing follows a $148 million defamation ruling in favor of Wandrea "Shaye" Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, after a jury determined Giuliani's unfounded accusations of election fraud led to harassment and threats against the women.
Moss and Freeman became targets of conspiracy theories pushed by Giuliani and others following the 2020 presidential election. These false claims suggested the women had committed voter fraud in Fulton County, Georgia. Freeman testified in court about how her life drastically changed, revealing she had to leave her home after strangers arrived with bullhorns and the FBI alerted her to credible threats.
The jury's verdict in December 2023 included $75 million in punitive damages and $73 million in other damages. Despite this ruling, Giuliani continued to make public statements about the case. Lawyers for Moss and Freeman have requested civil contempt sanctions, asserting that Giuliani's remarks on podcasts in November violated the court's order.
Giuliani, 80, has expressed concerns about his health and safety ahead of the hearing, claiming he has received death threats and is uncomfortable traveling. However, he plans to attend the hearing at 10:30 AM EST before U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
Giuliani's defense contends there is no "clear and convincing" evidence that he breached the court's directive. His legal team argues his comments were made in good faith and did not violate the judgment. If the judge rules against him, Giuliani could face another contempt finding in less than a week.
In addition to this case, a New York federal judge recently found Giuliani in contempt for failing to provide evidence in a separate legal matter regarding his Palm Beach condominium and other assets. This could mark his second contempt ruling within a week.
Meanwhile, Moss and Freeman's lawyers are seeking to seize Giuliani's personal property to satisfy the $148 million judgment, including three World Series rings from the 1996, 1999, and 2000 New York Yankees championships. Giuliani claims to have given the rings to his son in 2018, but the plaintiffs argue this transfer may have been fraudulent. A trial scheduled for January 16 will address this matter.
In court filings, Moss and Freeman’s attorneys wrote, "Mr. Giuliani started lying about Plaintiffs in December of 2020, and refused to stop after repeatedly being told that his election-rigging conspiracy theory about Plaintiffs was baseless, malicious, and dangerous."
Freeman, speaking after the December jury verdict, said, "Money will never solve all my problems. I can never move back into the house that I call home. I will always have to be careful about where I go and who I choose to share my name with. I miss my home. I miss my neighbors, and I miss my name."
Giuliani has dismissed the defamation case's verdict, calling the damages award "absurd" and predicting the judgment will be overturned on appeal. His spokesperson, Ted Goodman, described the legal challenges as an attack on Giuliani’s legacy, stating, "They can never take away his extraordinary record of public service."
The Friday hearing will determine whether Giuliani faces additional penalties for contempt, further complicating his mounting legal issues. His financial difficulties are also ongoing, with a trial over disputed assets, including the World Series rings and his Palm Beach property, scheduled for January 16.
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