Judge Blasts Rudy Giuliani Over ‘Continued & Flagrant Disregard’ Of Court Order To Produce Docs For His Financial Assets
(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
The judge in Rudy Giuliani‘s damages trial blasted the former Trump adviser Friday for “continued and flagrant disregard” of a court order.
The trial is to determine how much Giuliani will have to pay two 2020 election workers in Georgia for defaming them, after being found liable earlier this year.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell noted that he will have to inform jurors in the damages trial that Giuliani hid financial information from the court and ignored orders from the bench.
“Giuliani’s continued and flagrant disregard of this Court’s August 30 Order that he produce financial-related documents concerning his personal and his businesses’ past and present assets, revenues, income, viewership metrics, and social media, all of which information is potentially pertinent at the upcoming damages trial,” Howell wrote in a five-page ruling on Friday, according to The Hill.
The official date of the scheduled trial is December 11th. Back in August, Howell ruled that Giuliani is liable for defamation against Georgia election workers for having accused them of fraud and ballot manipulation.
Giuliani reportedly had a September 22th deadline to file material related to his financial history but failed to do so. The judge ruled that the jury must know that Giuliani intentionally hid this information while the court determines the “appropriate sum” he must pay in damages to the workers.
The former president’s personal attorney faces an avalanche of legal trouble including a criminal indictment in Georgia for attempting to overturn the 2020 election for Trump and a sexual misconduct lawsuit.
In addition, Howell has informed the jury that Giuliani received significant financial benefits as a result of his defaming election officials over Trump’s false election claims, and that the former mayor continues to make revenue from his businesses based in part on his actions surrounding the 2020 election and those defamatory claims.
The order also eliminates the possibility of Giuliani arguing he is financially insolvent or bankrupt.
