Rudy Giuliani attempted Thursday to dodge appearing in person at a defamation case hearing for medical reasons, including lung issues “attributable” to being at the World Trade Center on 9/11. But a judge shot down his request.
Giuliani defamed a pair of election workers, resulting in $150 million in damages against that drove him to declare bankruptcy. After the bankruptcy case was dismissed, mother-and-daughter poll workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are now attempting to collect his assets for the damages, including his Mercedes Benz, Manhattan penthouse, and luxury watches.
The former New York City mayor is now scheduled to appear at a contempt hearing Friday, when District Judge Lewis Liman will hear why Giuliani believes he should not face “severe” sanctions for what the election workers have complained is his failure to comply with court orders and skipping deadlines.
On Thursday, Joseph Cammarata, a lawyer for the man once hailed as “America’s mayor,” requested that his client be permitted to appear via Zoom at Friday’s hearing because he is experiencing “medical issues with his left knee and breathing problems due to lung issues discovered last year attributable to Defendant Rudolph W. Giuliani being at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001.”
Long before he became Trump’s personal lawyer, Giuliani was lauded for his leadership in the aftermath of 9/11, even visiting ground zero on the day of the attacks and in the chaotic days that followed.
Judge Liman rejected Giuliani’s request.
Rudy Giuliani gestures during a hearing in his case over the handover of property to two Georgia election workers he was found to have defamed, in New York City on November 26, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS)
“Defendant does not assert he is unable to travel. He submits no medical evidence. He has appeared in person at two prior hearings in this matter …. He has previously asked for an adjournment of the trial so that he could travel to Washington, D.C. this month,” the judge wrote in his order.
Giuliani can’t ask the court “both to consider his out-of-court signed declarations” as to why he should not be held in contempt and at the same time “deprive Plaintiffs of the opportunity to cross-examine him on his statements in open court,” the judge said. If he wants to withdraw his statements, then he may appear at the hearing virtually; if he wants to submit his statements, then he must appear in person, the judge ordered.
It’s not immediately clear how he will appear. The Independent has reached out to a representative for Giuliani for comment.
Judge Liman said in a December 27 filing that he would be prepared to announce his decision on whether to hold Giuliani in contempt at Friday’s hearing.
