Rudy Giuliani is required to surrender sports memorabilia and other valuable assets to two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who secured a $148 million defamation judgment against him. This ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan, mandates the transfer of Giuliani’s New York City apartment, more than two dozen luxury watches, and a 1980 Mercedes formerly owned by actress Lauren Bacall. However, Giuliani is not currently required to relinquish three New York Yankees World Series rings or his Florida condominium, as these items are implicated in other legal disputes.
The assets Giuliani must provide are anticipated to generate millions for Freeman and Moss, who were targeted by Giuliani’s false allegations of ballot fraud in relation to the 2020 presidential election. These claims, they argued, propagated Donald Trump’s false narrative of a stolen election, resulting in death threats that left them fearing for their safety. As per the court order, Giuliani must transfer within seven days his Manhattan apartment, valued at over $5 million, in addition to a financial interest of approximately $2 million that he claims is owed to him by Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Additional items required to be handed over include a 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL 500, a shirt and picture autographed by Yankees legends Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson, a Yankees Stadium signed photograph, a diamond ring, costume jewelry, and 26 watches, including a Rolex. Despite his claim of sentimental value for a watch gifted by his grandfather, the judge denied an exemption request from Giuliani as he failed to prove its value was under $1,000.
Judge Liman also instructed that Freeman and Moss have the right to liquidate these assets promptly and denied Giuliani’s request to prevent asset sales pending his appeal. Giuliani’s attorneys, Kenneth Caruso and David Labkowski, expressed their confidence that the judgment will be overturned, requiring the assets’ return to Giuliani. Nevertheless, Giuliani has yet to make any payments to Freeman and Moss.
A separate legal claim by Giuliani’s son, Andrew, regarding the ownership of the World Series rings is pending in federal court in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Liman decided to address matters related to Giuliani’s Palm Beach condominium later in the month, imposing a restriction on selling or reducing its value. After Giuliani’s $148 million judgment, his bankruptcy filing briefly paused Freeman and Moss’s collection efforts. However, the bankruptcy case was dismissed in July due to Giuliani’s failure to disclose income sources and comply with court orders.
