Rudy Giuliani Pushes Back on Poll Workers’ Call for Sanctions

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani asked a court to reject efforts by two Georgia poll workers to have him sanctioned and held in contempt for purportedly stonewalling preparations for a January trial.

The former lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump repeated past arguments that litigation brought by Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ Moss are politically motivated efforts by Democratic power players to destroy him, according to a court papers filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Freeman and Moss, who won a $148 million defamation suit against Giuliani, have asked a federal judge to sanction him for trying to stall the preparation process for a trial related to assets the pair want him to turn over. Giuliani has failed to comply with two court discovery orders that required him to produce documents by Nov. 26 or risk being held in contempt, the poll workers have told the court.

“I have not intentionally or willfully disobeyed any of this Court’s orders or Plaintiffs’ discovery demands,” Giuliani said in a declaration. “If any documents were not produced by me, it was because I did not possess them, and not for any nefarious reason to disobey any court order or discovery demand.”

The Jan. 16 trial will decide whether Giuliani’s Palm Beach, Fla., condo is exempt from seizure by the poll workers as part of their effort to collect on the judgment. Ownership of three World Series rings will also be litigated at the trial.

The former New York mayor filed for bankruptcy in December 2023, days after the poll workers won the $148 million default judgment related to his false claims that they rigged 2020 presidential election results. But in July his case was thrown out after months of stalled progress, leaving him without protection against his creditors.

Giuliani was ordered by a New York court to turn over his Mercedes-Benz in November. He also, in October, lost his Manhattan apartment, as well as jewelry and other assets.

Giuliani’s attorney, Joseph Cammarata of Cammarata & De Meyer PC, told Bloomberg Law in an email Friday that he and Giuliani are confident they’ll prevail at the contempt hearing, calling the litigation “unnecessary and unwarranted.”

“We believe there is approximately 10-12 attorneys working on this case for the Plaintiffs, because this case is political in nature, fueled and funded by the extreme left,” Cammarata said. “Their mission is to destroy Mayor Giuliani. My office will not let that happen.”

Attorneys for poll workers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

The poll workers are represented by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, DuBose Miller LLC, and United to Protect Democracy.

The case is Freeman v. Giuliani, Bankr. S.D.N.Y., No. 24-06563, opposition 12/19/24.