Lawyers are allowed into Giuliani’s New York apartment after he misses a deadline to transfer assets

A moving company representative and lawyers were expected to gain access Rudy Giuliani Manhattan apartment Thursday after former New York mayor failed to transfer assets to two former election workers in Georgia who won a $148 million defamation judgment against him.

The two sides leveled accusations against each other this week, as the deadline for Giuliani to return the items passed on Tuesday without the assets changing hands.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ordered Giuliani last week to give election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, many of his prized possessions. Among them: his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, and a variety of other possessions, from his television to a jersey signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio up to 26 luxury watches.

The moving company representative and lawyers for Freeman and Moss were expected to be allowed into Giuliani’s apartment to see what property was there and estimate the cost of moving the items mentioned in Liman’s order, according to a court document filed late Wednesday by Aaron Nathan, an attorney. for election workers.

In the document, Nathan said he spoke with Giuliani’s lawyers, but they were unwilling to turn over items and “couldn’t answer even basic questions” about the location of the assets.

Giuliani’s attorney, Kenneth Caruso, had said in a court filing late Tuesday that his client was willing to turn over the assets, but lawyers for Freeman and Moss had given no instructions on how to do so.

Nathan declined to comment Thursday. The Associated Press left phone and email messages Thursday with a representative and lawyers for Giuliani.

While voting in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday afternoon, Giuliani did not confirm that anyone had been in his New York apartment. He said he was not given a chance to defend himself in the case of Georgia election workers and that he believes the verdict will be overturned on appeal.

“It will probably be one of the most unfair trials in American history, with the exception of the J6 people,” he said, referring to the criminal cases against Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Giuliani was even given the opportunity last year to turn over information requested by lawyers for Freeman and Moss, but did not do so. A separate judge as punishment found Giuliani liable for defamation before a trial was held. A trial was later held to assess damages.

On Thursday, Liman instructed both parties to submit a status report on any real estate exchange by Monday. He said he would hold a status conference on Nov. 7 if the assets were not transferred.

Giuliani’s legal defense fund sent emails Thursday asking for donations as he fights “Deep State plans to utterly ruin me.”

“They want my house, my belongings and even all the nostalgic souvenirs I have collected over my 80 years of life,” the email said.

Giuliani’s lawyers had argued that Freeman and Moss should not be allowed to acquire and sell his assets while his appeal of the $148 million judgment is pending. But Liman ruled against him last week and set the deadline for Tuesday. Giuliani’s appeal is currently before a federal appeals court in Washington.

A spokesman for Giuliani, Ted Goodman, said in a recent statement that “Mayor Giuliani is being unfairly punished by partisan, political activists who try to make an example of him.”

Litigation is also underway over whether Giuliani should turn over his $3 million apartment in Palm Beach, Florida, which he says is his primary residence, and several Yankees World Series rings he received while he was mayor.

Giuliani pushed Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him and falsely accused Freeman and Moss of voter fraud, saying they put ballots in suitcases, counted the ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines .

Freeman and Moss sued for defamation, saying the false accusations led to death threats that left them fearing for their lives. A jury in Washington awarded them $148 million last year.