Federal judge holds Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court
A federal judge on Monday, Jan. 6, found Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, in contempt of court. The judge ruled that Giuliani had failed to turn over assets to satisfy a defamation judgment against him.
In December 2023, a jury awarded two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, $148 million in damages after a judge found Giuliani liable for defamation over false claims that they tampered with ballots in the 2020 presidential election.
In October, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ordered Giuliani to hand over personal assets to Freeman and Moss, including his Manhattan apartment, a 1980 Mercedes, luxury watches, jewelry and cash from two checking accounts.
When Giuliani appeared in court in November, his attorney told the judge that he had already turned over several required assets. However, attorneys for Freeman and Moss said the Mercedes and penthouse apartment were still missing.
At the time, Giuliani explained that he had applied for a duplicate copy of the car title and had not yet received it. He also argued that he was being persecuted and could not pay his bills.
Giuliani missed the initial asset turnover deadline two months ago.
In court on Monday, lawyers for Freeman and Moss said the Mercedes and Manhattan apartment had been turned over. However, the necessary paperwork to liquidate the assets was still absent.
Giuliani also testified remotely about his home in Palm Beach, Florida. He argued it should not be turned over because he considers it his permanent residence. A trial over the property is scheduled for Jan. 16.
In Monday’s testimony, Giuliani admitted that he sometimes withheld documents. He believed the requests were either overly broad, inappropriate or a “trap” set by plaintiffs’ lawyers.
After the ruling, Giuliani issued a statement saying it was “tragic to watch as our justice system has been turned into a total mockery, where we have charades instead of actual hearings and trials.”
Rudy Giuliani fights to keep Yankees World Series rings
Rudy Giuliani, the man once known as “America’s Mayor,” is fighting to keep some of his prized possessions in the wake of a $148 million defamation judgment against him. Those possessions include four World Series rings given to the former mayor of New York by the Yankees after the team won championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
In sworn testimony made public this week, Giuliani says he shouldn’t have to surrender the rings. He says they are a family heirloom and now belong to his son, Andrew. The lifelong Yankees fan testified that when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner gave him the rings in 2002, he insisted on paying for them and told Steinbrenner, “These are for Andrew.”
Two Georgia election workers brought the defamation case against Giuliani. They sued him in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. Giuliani was found liable in the case. He conceded in court documents that he falsely accused the women of fraud, but upon leaving the courtroom on Dec. 16, he called the judgment “absurd” and vowed to appeal.
On Friday, Jan. 3, Giuliani will be in federal court for a contempt hearing for allegedly failing to turn over assets promptly. On Jan. 16, a judge will decide what happens to the World Series rings and Giuliani’s condo in Palm Beach, Florida, which he claims is his primary residence.
The former mayor is also facing criminal charges in Georgia. There, he’s accused of participating in a wide-ranging conspiracy to thwart the will of the state’s voters, who had selected Democrat Joe Biden over the Republican incumbent in 2020. He faces 13 charges, including violations of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.
Rudy Giuliani appears in court, says he can’t pay bills amid defamation judgment
Former New York City Mayor and lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared in court Tuesday, Nov. 26, telling the judge that he cannot pay his bills after being accused of failing to comply with court orders to turn over his assets. The court action is part of a $148 million defamation judgment against him.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Giuliani must turn over several assets to two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who won the defamation lawsuit against him. The assets include his Manhattan apartment, a 1980 Mercedes Benz, some luxury watches and jewelry and cash from two checking accounts.
Freeman and Moss were awarded $150 million in damages last December after Giuliani was found liable for defamation over false claims that they tampered with ballots in the 2020 presidential election.
Liman had previously threatened Giuliani with civil contempt for not complying with the order to surrender the assets to Freeman and Moss.
“The implications you are making against me are wrong,” Giuliani told the judge Tuesday. “I have no car, no credit card, no cash, everything I have is tied up. They have put stop orders on my business accounts, and I can’t pay my bills.”
The former mayor’s lawyer said that his client had already turned over most of the required assets. However, attorneys for Freeman and Moss pointed out that the title to the Mercedes, along with the keys and lease to the penthouse apartment, were still missing.
Giuliani explained that he had applied for a duplicate copy of the Mercedes title, but it was not yet in his possession.
“The implication I’ve been not diligent about it is totally incorrect,” he told the judge. “The implication you make is against me, and every implication against me is wrong.”
In response, the judge warned Giuliani’s defense attorneys that the next time Giuliani interrupted the hearing, “the court will take action.”
After the hearing, Giuliani spoke to reporters outside the courthouse, stating that he does not regret his comments about Freeman and Moss but regrets the “persecution” he believes he is facing.
“The reality is I have no cash,” Giuliani said. “It’s all tied up. So right now, if I wanted to call a taxi cab, I can’t do it. I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have a checking account.”
Giuliani is scheduled to return to court for a trial on Jan. 16 related to the defamation case. The judge will also decide whether Giuliani must surrender his Florida home and four New York Yankees World Series rings.
Giuliani had requested a delay in the trial, citing a planned appearance in Washington, D.C., for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The judge denied the request.
“Also, the trial he set down for the period of time during President Trump’s inauguration, he really doesn’t need to have it because he’s going to rule against me,” Giuliani said. “If he were sitting in that courtroom and couldn’t figure it out, you’re stupid.”
Giuliani calls $148M defamation judgment a ‘political vendetta’
Outside a Manhattan federal courtroom Thursday, Nov. 7, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he is the victim of political persecution. “But the reality is that this case is obviously a political vendetta,” Giuliani said. “Just the mere fact that it’s a $145 million judgment, I’m very, very disappointed that this judge doesn’t take seriously how ridiculous the judgment is.”
Last month, a federal judge ruled that Giuliani must turn over his Manhattan apartment and other personal possessions, including luxury watches, jewelry and a Mercedes, to two Georgia election workers who won a defamation judgment against him.
The judge gave Giuliani seven days to comply with the ruling.
On Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Palm Beach, Florida, Giuliani was spotted in the passenger seat of a car matching the description of the Mercedes listed in the judgment, The New York Times reported.
So far, Giuliani has not complied with the judge’s order, arguing that the court has been “less than clear” and insisting that he did not commit a crime.
“So I am pretty sure – you’re never absolutely sure – this case can get reversed,” Giuliani said. “This judge could wait until this case was affirmed by the D.C. Circuit. Most judges would rather just take all of a man’s property away.”
The judge has threatened to charge Giuliani with contempt of court — a charge that carries the possibility of jail time — if he does not surrender the items by the end of next week.
Last December, election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss were awarded $150 million after Giuliani was found liable for defamation over false claims that they tampered with ballots in the 2020 election. The women said his lies endangered their lives.
Giuliani’s lawyers said they are appealing the judgment to the District of Columbia Circuit and are confident the verdict will be overturned.
Rudy Giuliani must turn over NYC apartment to Georgia election workers
A federal judge has ruled that Rudy Giuliani must turn over his Manhattan apartment and other personal possessions to two Georgia election workers. The decision on Tuesday, Oct. 22, comes after the workers won a defamation judgment against the former New York City mayor.
The election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, are now appointed receivers of Giuliani’s New York City penthouse apartment, his 1980 Mercedes Benz, some of his luxury watches and jewelry and also cash in two checking accounts.
The judge ordered Giuliani to relinquish the possessions within seven days of the order.
For now, the judge has decided that Giuliani can keep his home in Palm Beach, Florida, along with four New York Yankees World Series rings — which Giuliani’s son has stated are his and were given to him by his father.
Last December, Freeman and Moss were awarded $150 million after Giuliani was found liable for defamation for making false claims that the women were involved in ballot tampering during the 2020 presidential election.
The women argued that Giuliani put their lives in danger by spreading false information. A hearing regarding the Florida property is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 28.
Giuliani’s son claims World Series rings awarded in defamation suit are his
Two former Georgia poll workers who won a $148 million defamation suit against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani want his Yankees World Series rings. However, his son, Andrew Giuliani, said his father gave those rings to him as a gift in 2018 and he’s not giving them back.
The former poll workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, won their defamation suit over false claims the former mayor made, accusing the election workers of trying to steal the election from former President Donald Trump in 2020. As part of the settlement, Freeman and Moss, sought to get Giuliani’s apartment in Manhattan and Yankees memorabilia.
The younger Giuliani requested to intervene in the case and claim ownership of the four World Series rings, and a judge approved his request on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
In court filings, Andrew Giuliani said his father gave him the rings following Rudy Guiliani’s 74th birthday celebration in New York.
Andrew Giuliani said, “As child and young adult, I had spent many nights with my father watching Yankees games and bonding over our love for the team, and I was excited about receiving the rings.”
In a recent bankruptcy filing, Rudy Giuliani listed the rings as part of his personal property along with jewelry valued at around $30,000. Giuliani is appealing the settlement, arguing his assertions about the workers were protected under the First Amendment and saying that they failed to show he acted with “actual malice.”
He also asked the New York judge to refrain from giving his property to the two women until after a ruling on the appeal.
Jan. 6 ‘awards’ set to be held at Trump’s New Jersey golf club
Jan. 6, 2021, the day when thousands of rioters assaulted police officers, broke into the U.S. Capitol building and tried to stop the certification of a presidential election, is set to be celebrated with an awards ceremony at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. A nonprofit called Stand in the Gap, which financially supports Jan. 6 defendants, is hosting what it calls the “J6 Awards Gala” on Sept. 5.
The invitation said former President Donald Trump is an invited speaker, although his campaign and other sources said he will not be there.
Organizers describe it as an event to “honor and celebrate the twenty defendants who contributed to the ‘Justice For All’ song.” That song included Donald Trump reciting the pledge of allegiance and 20 jailed rioters singing the national anthem.
General admission to the event costs $1,500, but there are options as high as $30,000 and $50,000 dollars for VIP tables. All contributions go to a “January 6th Foundation.”
According to the group’s website, confirmed speakers include former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who served four months in prison on a contempt of congress conviction, and a number of conservative activists and influencers.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. was asked if Trump should attend on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, Aug. 25. He wouldn’t directly answer that question but said he has no sympathy for those who broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“The people who broke into the Capitol and assaulted police officers should go to jail” Graham said. “They committed a crime. There are people very upset about the outcome of the 2020 election, I get that. But Vice President Harris tried to raise bail money for people who burned Minneapolis, I didn’t like that either. So when it comes to the parties condoning violence, I would say we should both knock it off in that regard.”
Trump has previously appeared with some of the Jan. 6 defendants at private events and described them as “hostages” and “political prisoners.”
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis agrees to testify in Arizona ‘fake electors’ case
Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis has agreed to cooperate with Arizona prosecutors who charged nearly 20 associates of former President Donald Trump in a “fake electors” case. Prosecutors said on Monday, Aug. 5, that in exchange for her testimony they will drop nine felony charges against Ellis.
Ellis was among 18 defendants in the investigation that involved reported efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory in Arizona.
In a statement on Monday, Attorney General Kris Mayes, D-Ariz., expressed his gratitude for Ellis’ agreement to testify.
“I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution,” Mayes said. “Her insights are invaluable and will greatly aid the state in proving its case in court.”
Ellis’ testimony reportedly plays a pivotal role in the case against Trump’s former person attorney Rudy Guiliani. The defense said that he is linked to efforts in Arizona and several other states to overturn election results in 2020.
Under the agreement, Ellis must testify about efforts by Trump and his allies to reverse election results. Trump is not criminally charged in this case but is identified as a co-conspirator who spearheaded the election interference plot. Prosecutors did not indict Trump in the case.
Others charged in the investigation include Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorney John Eastman and attorney Christina Bobb. All of them have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
Ellis reportedly worked closely with Guiliani and pushed false claims of election fraud. She also pressured state lawmakers to replace Biden’s presidential electors with Trump’s.
Arizona is one of four states where prosecutors have filed charges against “fake electors.” Last year, Ellis pleaded guilty over efforts to overturn the Georgia 2020 election results.
Biden looks to solidify support from Democrats after debate
The White House released President Joe Biden’s next plans to reassure concerned Democrats after last week’s debate. And July 4 holiday travelers are expected to break records on the road amid soaring temperatures. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
Biden looks to solidify support from Democrats after debate
President Joe Biden and his team are taking this holiday week to reassure supporters that his decision to remain in the presidential race is the right one after his performance during the June 27 debate left some in his party questioning his candidacy. During a campaign fundraiser event in Virginia Tuesday, July 2, Biden blamed his poor performance on jet lag from back-to-back European trips, telling donors that “he wasn’t very smart” that he “didn’t listen” to his staff.
Reports also said Biden added that he almost “fell asleep during the debate.” To what extent the president was joking is not clear.
Previously, Biden’s campaign had said the president had a cold going into the debate.
On Wednesday, July 3, the president will speak with Democratic governors and party leaders as he looks to calm their fears. The White House reportedly will also be holding an all-staff meeting which the Associated Press describes as a “morale-booster.”
Biden has also agreed to sit down for an interview ABC News on Friday, July 5.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration really wants to turn the page on this topic with Biden heading to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days, but that didn’t stop reporters from pressing the issue.
“I think the American people need to get a yes or no answer on this: Does President Biden, at 81 years old, have Alzheimer’s any form of dementia or degenerative illness that would cause these sorts of lapses?” Andrew Feinberg, a reporter with The Independent, said. “And it’s a yes or no question and if you don’t know, why don’t you, as one of his senior staff members, know?”
Jean-Pierre fired back, “I have an answer for you. Are you ready for it? It’s a ‘no’ and I hope you’re asking the other guy the same exact question.”
This all comes as some members of the Democratic party are calling for Biden to step aside.
“I thought it was time for me to speak up, not for any self-gain, but because I think the risk to our country is so great we need to have the strongest candidate possible in order to ensure that the values that we hold for our democracy are not traded for an authoritarian strongman bent on revenge against his opponents,” Doggett told NBC News.
In a Newsweek opinion column, former Ohio congressman and presidential candidate Tim Ryan promoted the idea for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden on their party’s ticket.
Speaking to CBS News after leaving a fundraiser in California, the vice president confirmed President Biden remains the Democratic nominee.
“Look, Joe Biden is our nominee,” Harris said. “We beat Trump once and we’re going to beat him again. Period.”
Harris added, “I am proud to be Joe Biden’s running mate.”
Judge delays sentencing in Trump criminal case
Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York criminal trial has been pushed back to at least September. The judge’s decision came out Tuesday, July 2, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court handed the former president a big win, ruling he has some immunity from being criminally prosecuted on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump’s sentencing in New York was originally scheduled for next Thursday, July 11. Now, the judge overseeing the trial says Trump will be sentenced on Sept. 18 “if such is still necessary.”
That’s an “if” because Trump’s lawyers say the Supreme Court ruling should not only delay the sentencing but lead to tossing out his conviction completely.
Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social after the decision came down, saying the Supreme Court’s decision awarded him “total exoneration” in this and other criminal cases he faces.
Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony in May, when a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The Supreme Court’s decision has cast doubt on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump on election subversion charges, and a trial before the November election is highly unlikely now.
Giuliani disbarred in New York for 2020 election interference efforts
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in New York after a Manhattan appeals court found he repeatedly made false statements about former President Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. The court said Giuliani “flagrantly misused” his position.
Giuliani, once a legal adviser to Trump, has been banned from practicing law in “any form” in New York. Giuliani’s lawyer said his legal team was disappointed by the court’s decision.
Island-wide emergency declared in Jamaica ahead of Beryl
As Hurricane Beryl hurtles toward Jamaica, the country’s prime minister preemptively declared the whole island a disaster area. He’s also instated an island-wide curfew for Wednesday, July 3.
Beryl has been downgraded to a Category 4 storm now, but it’s already caused at least six deaths in the Caribbean.
Beryl is forecast to weaken more as it gets closer to Jamaica, but is still expected to be a major hurricane — at least a Category 3 — when it hits, bringing life-threatening winds and storm surge.
Eli Lilly’s drug has been shown in clinical trials to slow a decline in memory and thinking abilities in people in the early stages of the disease. The drug, which will be sold in the coming weeks under the brand name Kisunla, is an infusion given every four weeks that targets a protein buildup in the brain — considered to be the main indicator of Alzheimer’s.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 6.7 million people in the U.S. 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s last year. That number’s expected to increase to 13.8 million by 2060.
Watch for heat, rain, busy roads this July 4 holiday
The July 4 holiday is almost here, and while people get set to celebrate America’s independence, they may find themselves having to face two separate issues — the weather and the roads. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the brief break from the heat in the eastern U.S. is over, with heat and humidity pushing through New England.
In California and portions of the southwest, triple-digit temperatures are expected throughout the holiday week. Meanwhile in the Midwest, NOAA said rain could spoil the cookouts.
Then there’s the jam-packed roadways. AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will drive over the July 4 week. That’s nearly 3 million more than last year and would surpass 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, when around 55 million traveled by car.
House report claims CIA colluded with Biden campaign before 2020 election
A new joint report from a trio of Republican-controlled House committees claims the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) colluded with the Biden presidential campaign to mislead American voters just weeks before the 2020 election. The alleged scandal revolves around the notorious Hunter Biden laptop.
In October 2020, the New York Post reported on documents and emails found on Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop. The hard drive was handed over to Rudy Giuliani, then-President Donald Trump’s personal attorney.
The Post report detailed how those emails tied Joe Biden to Hunter Biden’s business dealings with gas company Burisma in Ukraine when Biden was vice president in 2014. The paper called it President Biden’s “international influence-peddling scheme.”
Fifty-one CIA intelligence officials attempted to discredit the laptop story, signing a letter calling the entire episode “Russian disinformation.” Big Tech suppressed the story by blocking the link so it couldn’t be shared on most social media platforms.
“We write to say that the arrival on the U.S. political scene of emails purportedly belonging to Vice President Biden’s son Hunter, much of it related to his serving on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,” the letter stated.
The letter also stated Russia would do anything to help Trump win the election and discredit Biden.
After initial uncertainty, it turns out Hunter Biden’s laptop and the contents on it were real, and it was even submitted as evidence in his recent gun trial, which resulted in him being federally convicted for lying on documents about his drug addiction in order to purchase a gun.
Now, the new House report accuses then-CIA Director Gina Haspel of knowing about the statement prior to its approval and publication.
The report said President Biden’s then-top campaign official, now Secretary of State Antony Blinken, called former CIA Director Michael Morell “to provide talking points to the Biden campaign to discredit politically damaging allegations.”
Morell testified that it was Blinken’s call that prompted him to write the letter and get the other 50 intelligence officials to sign on.
Five of the letter’s signatures came from former CIA directors, and 41 of the 51 signatures were by former CIA members. All were contractors with the agency and on the payroll.
“We knew that the rushed statement from the 51 former intelligence officials was a political maneuver between the Biden campaign and the intelligence community,” House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan said of the report. “Now with this interim report, we reveal how officials at the highest levels of the CIA were aware of the statement and CIA employees knew that several of the so-called former officials were on active contract with the CIA. The report underscores the risks posed by a weaponized federal government.”
“CIA officers, as a condition of their employment, are required to sign a secrecy agreement that includes a lifelong obligation to submit any and all intelligence-related materials to CIA’s pre-publication review board before they are published,” the CIA told Fox News in response to the report. “That process was followed in this case… These former officers were not speaking for CIA.”
It is unknown how the 2020 presidential election would have played out if the CIA letter had never been published.