Where has Joe DiMaggio gone? Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani is facing a court hearing in New York on Friday regarding a potential contempt of court charge for failing to comply with court orders, including not surrendering a signed jersey from the late Yankees’ Hall of Famer. The jersey, which holds significant value, was supposed to be handed over two months ago to help settle a defamation judgment of $146 million against Giuliani by Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
Lawyers representing the former Georgia election workers are seeking civil contempt charges against Giuliani for repeatedly disregarding court directives to surrender the jersey and other requested items. Despite Giuliani’s attempt to avoid the hearing due to health issues related to his left knee and lung problems from his involvement in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the presiding Judge Lewis Liman expressed skepticism towards Giuliani’s last-minute request for remote appearance, highlighting the lack of medical evidence and proper procedure followed.
Although Liman did not mandate Giuliani’s attendance at the hearing, he cautioned that Giuliani would not be able to use recent statements and deposition transcripts in his defense if he does not appear. Giuliani’s attorney confirmed his presence at the hearing, where Freeman and Moss are urging Liman to penalize Giuliani with appropriate sanctions for his consistent non-compliance with court orders. The specific sanctions to be imposed remain unspecified, but Liman could potentially levy fines or imprisonment if Giuliani is found in contempt.
Giuliani maintains that he has been complying with the court’s orders, stating, “The Court should see that I gave everything that I could give.” However, Freeman and Moss dispute this claim, alleging that Giuliani has failed to hand over various assets, including the DiMaggio jersey. Giuliani contends that he is uncertain of the jersey’s whereabouts but believed it was in his New York City apartment, which has already been searched by Freeman and Moss’s attorneys.
An attorney for Freeman and Moss cast doubts on Giuliani’s assertion of misplacing the signed jersey, citing testimony from Monsignor Alan Placa, a close associate of Giuliani, who reportedly refuted Giuliani’s claim during a recent deposition.
During a recent court hearing, it was revealed that Rudy Giuliani had acknowledged seeing a framed, signed Joe DiMaggio shirt within the last two years, stating, “That’s certainly where I saw it,” while adding that he had never seen one before or since. The discrepancy in Giuliani’s possession of memorabilia is expected to be a topic of discussion at the upcoming hearing. His attorneys argue that his failure to hand over various items, such as the proprietary lease for his Manhattan apartment, co-op shares, cash in his bank account, and paperwork for a Mercedes-Benz convertible, constitutes a pattern of willful defiance of court orders.
Although Giuliani surrendered a Mercedes-Benz convertible, he has yet to provide the title document for the vehicle. Additionally, while he has turned over 18 luxury watches, he has not surrendered eight others as previously claimed in a bankruptcy filing. Giuliani has also failed to produce other Yankees memorabilia, including a signed picture of Reggie Jackson, insisting instead that it was a picture of Derek Jeter, which has already been handed over.
Furthermore, Giuliani’s failure to deliver the shares and proprietary lease for his Manhattan co-op has raised concerns. While initially claiming he did not possess these documents, he later admitted during a deposition that he had important papers stored in a box in Florida, which likely included the required documents.
Giuliani is facing contempt proceedings in relation to these matters, as well as another case in federal court in Washington, D.C., where he is accused of defaming individuals on his streaming show despite a court order prohibiting such actions. Financial penalties may be imposed during the upcoming hearing.
Rudy Giuliani, the former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, recently defended his remarks on his show, claiming that they were not defamatory and asserting that discussing the case and his defense falls under his First Amendment rights. This comes in the wake of a legal battle where Judge Arthur Howell ruled that Giuliani was liable for defaming Dominion Voting Systems employees Eric Freeman and Tanya Moss in 2023. The judge’s decision stemmed from Giuliani’s repeated failure to comply with court orders to provide necessary evidence to Freeman and Moss, who had taken legal action against him over his allegations in connection with the 2020 election.
Freeman and Moss contended that Giuliani’s unfounded accusations led to their termination from their respective positions and subjected them to a barrage of racially motivated death threats. In response to their claims, a jury awarded the plaintiffs a substantial $148 million in damages, a figure later reduced by the judge to $146 million. Giuliani, however, has challenged the jury’s decision and is currently pursuing an appeal against the verdict.
This legal setback is compounded by Giuliani’s recent loss of his law licenses in New York and Washington, D.C., further complicating his legal standing. Additionally, the embattled attorney is facing criminal charges in multiple states related to his endeavors to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election. Despite the mounting legal challenges, Giuliani has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him.
Giuliani’s tumultuous legal predicament underscores the far-reaching consequences of his actions following the 2020 election. As his legal battles continue to unfold, the former mayor of New York City finds himself entangled in a complex web of civil and criminal proceedings, with his professional reputation and legal standing hanging in the balance.
