Rudy Giuliani Ordered To Turn Over His $5 Million Apartment, Mercedes & 26 Watches To Georgia Election Workers To Pay Defamation Judgment

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was ordered to turn over his sports memorabilia and luxury items to  Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the Georgia election workers.

On December 15, 2023, a jury in Washington, D.C., ordered Giuliani to pay Freeman and Moss $148 million for false and defamatory claims he made about them, which led him to declare bankruptcy six days later.

Following the 2020 election, the former mayor falsely claimed that the election workers involved in Fulton County, Georgia’s ballot counts, participated in election fraud.

The property Giuliani needs to hand over is expected to fetch several million dollars for Freeman and Moss.

On October 22, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan ruled that Giuliani must hand over his Manhattan apartment, estimated at over $5 million, within seven days.

He must also give Freeman and Moss his 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 previously owned by Lauren Bacall, a shirt and picture signed, respectively, by Yankees legends Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson, a signed Yankee Stadium picture, a diamond ring, costume jewelry and 26 watches, including a Rolex, five Shinolas, two Bulovas and a Tiffany & Co.

In court documents filed earlier this year, Giuliani estimated the Mercedes to be worth nearly $25,000 and the watches, World Series rings and costume jewelry to be worth almost $30,000. 

He also mentioned that the value of his sports memorabilia was still being determined.

One of the watches was given to the ex-mayor by his grandfather, and he requested that he be allowed to keep it due to its sentimental value. 

However, Judge Liman denied the request, saying Giuliani could have had it exempted if he proved it was worth less than $1,000 – but he had not done so.

“The Court also does not doubt that certain items may have sentimental value to Defendant,” the judge stated. “But that does not entitle Defendant to continued enjoyment of the assets to the detriment of the Plaintiffs to whom he owes approximately $150 million. It is, after all, the underlying policy of these New York statutes that ‘no man should be permitted to live at the same time in luxury and in debt.'”

Liman wrote that Freeman and Moss would be allowed to sell off the property and “ensure that the liquidation of the transferred assets is accomplished quickly.”

Giuliani asked the judge to bar the election workers from selling any of his assets until after he finishes his appeal of the judgment. 

Liman also rejected this request, saying the ex-mayor could have asked the federal court in Washington, D.C., to continue any asset sales pending his appeal, but he had not.

“Stay tuned,” the ex-mayor’s lawyers, Kenneth Caruso and David Labkowski said in a statement. “When the judgment is reversed in the Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., these Plaintiffs will be required to return all this property to Mr. Giuliani. We repeat, stay tuned.”

Freeman and Moss expressed their satisfaction at the ruling.

“We are proud that our clients will finally begin to receive some of the compensation to which they are entitled for Giuliani’s actions,” Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss, shared in a statement. “This outcome should send a powerful message that there is a price to pay for those who choose to intentionally spread disinformation.”

Freeman and Moss also asked Liman to order Giuliani to turn over his condominium in Palm Beach, Florida, estimated to be worth over $3 million. 

However, that condominium is tied up in other litigation, with Giuliani claiming it should be exempt since it is his primary residence. The election workers have a lien on the Florida property.

Liman stated he would take up the Florida condo during a hearing on October 28, and he prohibited the former mayor from selling the property or taking any action that would decrease its value.

The judge also said Giuliani does not have to give the election workers his three New York Yankees World Series rings.

According to court papers filed earlier this month, the election workers want the former mayor to turn over the Yankees World Series rings from the Yankees’ wins in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 so that they could collect on the 2023 judgment.

However, in a Manhattan federal court filing made on October 8, the lawyers of Giuliani’s son, Andrew Giuliani, declared that “an order requiring transfer of these rings to Plaintiffs would permanently deprive Andrew of his ownership in them.”

Liman allowed Andrew to intervene in this case to stake his claim on the World Series rings. 

In the court filings, Andrew claimed that his dad gave him the rings on the night of his 74th birthday celebration in May 2018. He also said they agreed his father would temporarily keep one of the rings.