Rudy Giuliani Loses His Lawyers, and His Cool, in Court
"The subject of several cases, the former New York City mayor lashed out at a judge questioning why he had not forfeited personal assets as required.
Rudolph W. Giuliani was not having a good day, and it showed.
The former New York City mayor was in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday to discuss his continuing failure to give up nearly $11 million worth of personal assets. The forfeiture was meant as a down payment on the $148 million Mr. Giuliani owes to two Georgia election workers for defaming them by claiming, without evidence, that they had helped to steal the 2020 presidential election.
But first, Judge Lewis Liman allowed Mr. Giuliani’s lawyers to withdraw from the case. They had requested to be removed two weeks ago, citing an unspecified “professional ethics” concern.
“I’m sorry it came to this,” Kenneth Caruso, one of Mr. Giuliani’s lawyers, said before he and his co-counsel left the hearing.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Caruso said that there had been “a difference of opinion” with Mr. Giuliani but they wished his new counsel “every success.”
The focus then shifted to Mr. Giuliani’s new lawyer, Joseph M. Cammarata, a former police officer. The men forged a relationship after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when Mr. Cammarata’s brother, a firefighter, was killed.
Mr. Cammarata, who has been involved in the case for just over a week, asked that Mr. Giuliani’s trial, which is scheduled for Jan. 16, be delayed to determine whether the former mayor could keep his condominium in Florida and several custom-made Yankees World Series rings.
Mr. Cammarata said the delay was necessary because he also had to prepare for a December court appearance in Washington, where Mr. Giuliani could be found in contempt of court for continuing to make false accusations about the two Georgia poll workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss.
Also, Mr. Cammarata said, Mr. Giuliani would like to attend President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, and a trial could prevent that.
The answer, Judge Liman said, was no.
The hourlong hearing, punctuated by an angry outburst by Mr. Giuliani, was the most contentious yet in the winding search for his personal assets, which he was ordered to hand over to the two women more than a month ago.
For the first time in weeks, the strain of several cases stemming from Mr. Giuliani’s time as Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer appeared to be getting to him, as he sat slumped back in his chair with his arms crossed.
After missing several deadlines to surrender the bulk of his assets, Mr. Giuliani has only turned over a fraction of notable items, including some pieces from his luxury watch collection and a 1980 Mercedes-Benz convertible that he says once belonged to the actress Lauren Bacall. But Mr. Giuliani still has not provided the keys or the title to the vehicle.
The former mayor has begun the transfer of his most valuable asset, a 10-room apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that had been listed for sale at more than $6 million. The process has been delayed because the property remains jointly held with his ex-wife, Judith Giuliani.
The scant items that have been surrendered are problematic, according to Judge Liman.
“The car without the keys and title is meaningless,” he said, cutting off Mr. Cammarata midsentence.
“Your client is a competent person,” the judge added, noting that Mr. Giuliani was a former U.S. attorney. (He was, however, recently disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C.)
Mr. Giuliani objected.
“I have applied for the title,” he said of the Mercedes. “I haven’t gotten it yet. What am I supposed to do, make it up myself?”
He continued.
“I don’t have a car,” he said in a raised voice. “I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have cash.” He complained that he didn’t “have a penny” that was not tied up by Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss.
Judge Liman warned Mr. Giuliani to let his new lawyer speak for him.
“Somebody has to tell the truth!” Mr. Giuliani shot back.
“Next time, he’s not going to be permitted to speak,” Judge Liman told Mr. Cammarata. “And the court will have to take action.”
The women’s lawyers described their frustration in trying to recover Mr. Giuliani’s property, much of which is in a storage facility in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., on Long Island.
Aaron Nathan, one of the women’s lawyers, said Mr. Giuliani’s compliance had been “lackadaisical at best, and intentionally obstructive at worst.”
Last week, the women’s lawyers said that more than 20 pallets of moving boxes belonging to Mr. Giuliani were still at the storage facility, America First Warehouse, and that the owners were making it difficult to search the contents.
A facility representative, who calls himself “Joe the Box” on social media, posted a defiant video on X in which he expressed support for Mr. Giuliani and said he would not stand for someone to “dissect” the former mayor’s life.
Last Friday, Judge Liman ordered Mr. Giuliani to account for all of the property at the facility that was subject to seizure and to deliver it to a warehouse of the women’s choosing by Dec. 13.
If Mr. Giuliani continues to miss deadlines in the case, he could face steep penalties, including jail time. There could be similar consequences in Washington, where a judge will decide in December if the former mayor has violated an order not to defame the women by accusing them again of election fraud on recent media appearances.
As he left the courthouse, Mr. Giuliani repeated his grievances at a prepared microphone stand about being targeted for political ends. A heckler shouted at Mr. Giuliani as he walked to a waiting car.
“You got nothing now!” the man said. “You’re a bum!”
Mr. Giuliani smiled and turned toward the man.
“I wouldn’t bet against me,” he said.
Eileen Sullivan contributed reporting.
Stefanos Chen is a Times reporter covering New York City’s economy. He previously covered real estate in the city for over a decade. More about Stefanos Chen
Rudy Giuliani Loses His Lawyers, and His Cool, in Court - The New York Times
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