Combative Giuliani appears in court after missing deadline to surrender assets

A combative Rudy Giuliani said a civil case to take his most prized assets was like “a political persecution” before he entered a New York City court on Thursday to explain to a federal judge why he has not surrendered his valuables as part of a 148 million dollar (£114 million)  defamation judgment.

Judge Lewis Liman ordered the former New York City mayor to report to court after lawyers for the two former Georgia election workers who were awarded the massive judgment visited Mr Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment last week only to discover it had been cleared out weeks earlier.

The judge had set an October 29 deadline for the longtime ally of President-elect Donald Trump to surrender many of his possessions to lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.

The possessions include his five million dollar (£3.8 million) Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.

When he arrived at Manhattan federal court, Mr Giuliani told reporters that he has not stood in the way of the court’s orders.

“Every bit of property that they want is available, if they are entitled to it,” he said.

“Now, the law says they’re not entitled to a lot of them. For example, they want my grandfather’s watch, which is 150 years old. That’s a bit of an heirloom. Usually you don’t get those unless you’re involved in a political persecution. In fact, having me here today is like a political persecution.”

During the court proceeding, which lasted over an hour, a lawyer for Ms Freeman and Ms Moss and a lawyer for Mr Giuliani disputed whether he has done all he can to turn over assets.

Judge Liman ordered Mr Giuliani to hand over the Mercedes by Monday.

Judge Liman originally scheduled a phone conference about the situation, but he changed it to a hearing in Manhattan federal court that Mr Giuliani must attend after learning about the visit to the former mayor’s apartment.

Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for the election workers, wrote in a letter to Judge Liman that the residence was already “substantially empty” when representatives for his clients visited with a moving company official to assess the transportation and storage needs for the property Mr Giuliani was ordered to surrender.

He said the group was told most of the apartment’s contents, including art, sports memorabilia and other valuables, had been moved out about four weeks earlier and that some of it had been placed in storage.

At the hearing, Mr Nathan complained that efforts to get assets were met by “delay and then evasion”.

Mr Giuliani spoke directly to the judge at one point, saying he had been “treated rudely” by those trying to take control of his assets.

They have so far argued unsuccessfully that Mr Giuliani should not be forced to turn over his belongings while he appeals against the judgment.

Judge Liman also denied a request from Mr Giuliani’s legal team to postpone Thursday’s court appearance to next week or hold it by phone, as originally planned.

A Giuliani spokesman, meanwhile, dismissed the legal wrangling as intimidation tactics.

“Opposing counsel, acting either negligently or deliberately in a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless,” Ted Goodman, his spokesman, said earlier this week.

Mr Giuliani was found liable for defamation for falsely accusing Ms Freeman and Ms Moss of ballot fraud as he pushed Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud allegations during the 2020 election campaign.

The women said they faced death threats after Mr Giuliani accused them of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.