Ex-New York Mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani found in contempt of court

Giuliani has been under pressure to turn over assets to pay a $148m penalty to Georgia election workers he allegedly defamed.

A judge in the United States has found Rudy Giuliani, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, in contempt of court for his failure to fully respond to requests about his assets.

Monday was the second day of Giuliani’s contempt hearing, and US District Judge Lewis J Liman ultimately ruled that he “willfully violated a clear and unambiguous order of this court”.

It was the latest chapter in an ongoing civil case that saw Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, liable for defamation over allegations made after the 2020 presidential election.

In December 2023, a jury in Washington, DC, determined that Giuliani should pay $73m in compensation and $75m as punishment to two election workers he falsely accused of tampering with the vote.

Giuliani had echoed Trump’s own unfounded claims that his 2020 defeat was the result of widespread election fraud.

According to lawyers, Giuliani’s allegations made the two election workers, mother Ruby Freeman and daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, the target of repeated harassment and death threats.

On Monday, Judge Liman said Giuliani “blew past” a deadline on December 20 to provide details about his condominium in Palm Beach, Florida, that could be used as an asset to pay the penalties.

Lawyers for Moss and Freeman have also accused Giuliani of ignoring their requests for information as they attempt to collect the money owed.

For example, they said that Giuliani had indeed turned over a Mercedes-Benz car to authorities, as well as a New York apartment, but that he failed to provide the documents needed to monetise them.

They also alleged that Giuliani had not handed over sport memorabilia, watches and money from his “nonexempt cash accounts” that could be used to pay the multimillion-dollar penalty.

Monday’s decision centred in large part on the Palm Beach condo, which Giuliani has claimed as his primary residence, in an attempt to protect it from seizure.

But Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for the mother-daughter election workers, has accused Giuliani of withholding documentation that could show Palm Beach was not his permanent home — thereby making it another possible source of assets for the penalty.

However, Giuliani’s lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, argued that the timeframe was too tight to deliver all the information needed — though he emphasised that Giuliani did try.

“There’s been substantial compliance,” Cammarata said. “There is no defiance to the court.”

Giuliani himself acknowledged he was hesitant to turn over some documents, fearing the requests were too broad or even a legal “trap”.

He also cited the heavy toll exacted by the numerous legal cases he faces.

In Georgia, for instance, Giuliani is part of a stalled but ongoing criminal case, accusing Trump and his allies of leading a criminal enterprise to overturn the 2020 election.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, the former mayor is part of another criminal indictment, likewise for spreading false election claims.

The 80-year-old Giuliani estimated that the competing demands made it “impossible to function in an official way” a third of the time. He said he had not “willfully disobeyed” any court orders.

But Judge Liman appeared to dismiss the argument that Giuliani was simply overburdened.

“The fact that he is a busy person who in the past relied on others is not an excuse for noncompliance,” Liman said.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies