Rudy Giuliani has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy less than a week after he was ordered to pay two Georgia election workers a total of $148 million for spreading defamatory conspiracy theories about them in the aftermath of the 2020 election — and less than 24 hours after the judge in that case ruled that Giuliani must immediately begin paying those damages.
For months now, Giuliani has struggled to finance the slew of civil and criminal litigation brought against him in various states.These include a criminal indictment by Fulton County prosecutors in Georgia alleging he — alongside former President Donald Trump — was involved in a racketeering scheme to overturn the 2020 election, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the Jan.6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S.Capitol, disbarment proceedings , and sexual assault allegations .In September, Giuliani’s former attorneys filed a lawsuit against him over unpaid legal bills.
It was Giuliani’s already precarious financial position, as well as his refusal to comply with previous financial penalties leveled against him before the case’s conclusion, that moved Wandrea ArShaye “Shaye” Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman to seek to immediately collect the damages granted to them in their civil defamation case.Judge Beryl Howell wrote in her order that “Giuliani’s failure to ‘satisfy even more modest monetary awards entered earlier in this case,’ provides good cause to believe that he will seek to dissipate or conceal his assets” during the standard 30-day stay of payment granted to defendants.
Giuliani’s bankruptcy petition indicates that he has less than $10 million in assets and at least $152 million in liabilities, including the $148 million he owes the Georgia election workers.
“The filing should be a surprise to no one.No person could have reasonably believed that Mayor Rudy Giuliani would be able to pay such a high punitive amount,” Ted Goodman, an advisor and spokesperson for Giuliani, said in a statement.
“Chapter 11 will afford Mayor Giuliani the opportunity and time to pursue an appeal, while providing transparency for his finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court, to ensure all creditors are treated equally and fairly throughout the process,” he added.
Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 100 Best Albums of 2023 The 50 Worst Decisions in Movie History All 243 of Taylor Swift’s Songs, Ranked
Giuliani’s bankruptcy petition says he owes $1.4 million to his former lawyer’s firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, and nearly $400,000 to the law firm Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins.
Other creditors listed include the voting machine firms Dominion and Smartmatic , which have sued the former Trump lawyer for defamation over his 2020 election lies; Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, who sued Giuliani in September for allegedly wrongly accessing and sharing his personal data; Noelle Dunphy, a former employee of Giuliani’s who accused him of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed earlier this year; and Daniel Gill, who sued Giuliani after he was arrested and charged with assault after slapping the former New York mayor on the back at a grocery store.
Giuliani also owes more than $700,000 in taxes to the IRS and $260,000 to the New York Department of Taxation.Trending Kelly Clarkson Falls to Her Knees in Awe After Singing Cher’s New Christmas Song Vin Diesel Accused of Sexually Assaulting Assistant During ‘Fast Five’ Filming in New Lawsuit Trump Vows to Amp Up the Hitler Talk New Tesla Cars Fall Apart.The Company Says Drivers Are to Blame
During his defamation trial, Giuliani’s lawyer complained to the jury that the amount of damages requested by Moss and Freeman would be “the civil equivalent of the death penalty” against his client, and signify “the end of Mr.Giuliani.”
The bankruptcy petition might help stop the bleeding, but it won’t be the end of Giuliani’s financial problems — or eliminate his obligations to Moss and Freeman.According to Business Insider , because defamation represents an “intentional tort,” Giuliani will still be on the hook for $148 million..
