Federal judge holds Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for repeating false claims about election workers

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., held Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for violating a court order that barred him from making false and defamatory statements against two Georgia election workers after they secured a $148 million defamation judgement against him in 2023.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell admonished the former New York City mayor for continuing to spread lies about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss in November on his web show, saying she hoped that sitting through trial and agreeing to a consent judgement would have made Giuliani "stop saying such fabricated lies."

The judge asked Giuliani, "$148 million wasn't a sufficient incentive to stop the defamation?"

Giuliani was ordered by Howell to file a declaration acknowledging that he reviewed testimony and evidence from the defamation trial and that no testimony or government report contradicted the two election workers. Howell issued a $200 fine for each day Giuliani does not comply with the deadline to submit the declaration.

If Giuliani engages in further violations, Howell said the court would have to consider imprisonment or confinement.

"It is outrageous and shameful," Howell said while reading her verdict. "This takes real chutzpah, Mr. Giuliani."

Last week, a federal judge in New York also held Giuliani in contempt of court for failing to turn over personal property and information to the two election workers.

During the hearing on Friday, Giuliani took the stand briefly to go over bank documents from Giuliani's bankruptcy case that showed his assets and liabilities that Giuliani has claimed are exempt assets including his house in Palm Beach, Florida, valued at $3.5 million.

When asked to verify bank accounts, Giuliani said, "They're not my accounts, I don't have access to them." The former mayor said that because his accounts were frozen and because he is not able to withdraw from them, the bank accounts are not his.

"Illegally, you have tied up everything I have," Giuliani said.

Michael Gottlieb, an attorney for Freeman and Moss, pressed Giuliani over payments he made in November, the same month he made the alleged defamatory statements about the election workers. Payments include taxes and utility payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars.

Gottlieb added the money should come from the assets Giuliani has said are exempt from creditor claims.

"We haven't been able to come up with any other way we believe compliance can be coerced," Gottlieb said.

He added, "The main thing the plaintiffs want is for Giuliani to stop defaming them."

"I am very concerned based on the statements made today that Mr. Giuliani may not be persuaded from making statements without more severe sanctions," Judge Howell said.

Ted Goodman, the former mayor's representative, said in a statement, "The public should know that Mayor Rudy Giuliani never had the opportunity to defend himself on the facts in the defamation case. This is an important point that many Americans still don't realize due to biased coverage and a campaign to silence Mayor Giuliani. This contempt ruling is designed to prevent Mayor Giuliani from exercising his constitutional rights."