Georgia election workers move for 'severe' sanctions against Giuliani

Attorneys for two former Georgia election workers are asking a New York judge to impose "severe" sanctions on Rudy Giuliani for what they call the one-time New York mayor's "willful flouting" and "blatant disregard" of court orders.

"Severe discovery sanctions are warranted given Mr. Giuliani's willful flouting of multiple orders of this Court, his history of refusing to participate in discovery even in the face of possible sanctions, and his conscious disregard of the inevitable consequence of his conduct," attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss wrote Thursday.

A federal jury last year ordered Giuliani to pay Freeman and Moss nearly $150 million for defaming them with false accusations that the mother and daughter committed election fraud while the two were counting ballots in Georgia's Fulton County on Election Day in 2020.

And while Giuliani has already handed over several watches, a ring, and his Mercedes-Benz as part of the judgment, the parties remain at odds over the disposition of his Palm Beach apartment and other assets.

Attorneys for the two women argued in their Thursday filing that Giuliani's failure to turn over relevant documents merits whatever sanctions the court "finds appropriate."

"As recently as this week, Mr. Giuliani has expressed a refusal to provide plaintiffs even with a list of the email addresses and social media handles he uses to communicate," the wrote. "This pattern of noncompliance warrants sanctions."

Giuliani is scheduled to be deposed in this matter on Dec. 27. A trial is expected to begin on Jan. 16 to determine the disposition of Giuliani's Florida condominium.

The asset collection matter in New York is just one of several legal challenges Giuliani faces.

In a separate defamation case brought by Freeman and Moss in Washington, D.C., Giuliani told the judge overseeing the case that he could not find counsel to represent him because multiple lawyers he's sought to hire find Howell "unreasonable and biased."

"I have spoken to four attorneys and each attorney has declined to handle this matter because they believe Your Honor is unreasonable and biased about Trump related matters and 'ideological rather than logical,'" Giuliani wrote.

Judge Howell rejected the letter because Giuliani failed to sign it.

Giuliani said in the letter that if he could not find counsel, he would represent himself.