Rudy Giuliani slammed by judge for ‘farcical’ excuse in $148M defamation case

An exasperated judge on Thursday blasted former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s “farcical” bid to wriggle out of disclosing information about his finances to the two Georgia election workers he defamed and owes $148 million.

Giuliani, 80, said during a hearing in Manhattan federal court that he wanted his own name removed from a document he’s required to file listing the people who know where his assets are — a request that set off Judge Lewis Liman.

“The notion that your client doesn’t have any notion of where his assets are is farcical,” Liman fumed, adding that he expects Giuliani to answer that question “truthfully and fully.”

“If necessary, I will have you take the stand and testify under oath,” the judge added.

The jurist also raised his voice later in the hour-long proceeding to rip a claim from Giuliani lawyer Ken Caruso that it was “vindictive” for the election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, to seek Giuliani’s grandfather’s watch as they collect the funds he owes them.

“Oh, come on. That’s ridiculous!” Liman said.

“If they have a debt, they have to pay the debt. It doesn’t matter if it’s an heirloom,” he added.

Giuliani sat hunched over at the defense table, and at various points during the hearing shook his head. He could also be heard muttering to his attorney while the court was in session.

Liman had ordered Giuliani to appear in person after lawyers for the election workers accused him of blowing an Oct. 29 deadline to turn over his Upper East Side apartment, Yankees memorabilia and other assets to court-appointed creditors.

Among the assets that Giuliani has yet to give up is his blue convertible 1980 Model SL500 — once owned by Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall — which the former mayor brazenly turned up in Tuesday at a Florida polling site to watch his ally, President-elect Donald Trump, cast his ballot.

The judge floated the possibility of holding Giuliani in contempt of court — which could lead to fines or even jail time — if he does not hand over the property by next week.

“He’s not going to be in contempt if he’s made efforts and it’s impossible to comply with the order, but that’s the standard that he’s going to be held to,” Liman said.

Giuliani spoke to reporters after the hearing, calling the case a “political vendetta” and claiming without evidence that his legal woes were “orchestrated by the Bidens.”

“They can have all my property but they’re not going to get me to back off from what I believe in,” he said.

Giuliani falsely claimed that Freeman and Moss tried to cheat Trump out of the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost — in lies that led to “terrifying” mobs of his supporters gathering at Freeman’s home, she testified at a December 2023 trial in Washington, DC federal court.

A jury ordered Giuliani to pay the two women $148 million in damages, but they are expected to receive far less, given that the ex-mayor reported having $10.6 million in assets when he filed for bankruptcy late last year. 

Giuliani also plans to appeal the damages verdict.