Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani faces another legal setback as he prepares for a crucial property trial.
According to Raw Story, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman rejected Giuliani's request to seal his witness list in the upcoming trial concerning whether he must surrender his Florida condo to Georgia election workers, which he defamed.
The trial follows a recent $148 million defamation verdict awarded to Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, election workers whom Giuliani falsely accused of participating in a conspiracy to manipulate the 2020 election results against Donald Trump. Despite repeated evidence disproving these claims, Giuliani persisted in making these allegations, leading to severe legal and financial consequences.
Giuliani's current legal battle centers on his claim that his Florida condominium serves as his primary residence, which would protect it from debt collection under Florida's homestead exemptions. The former mayor has already been ordered to surrender his New York City penthouse apartment as part of the judgment.
His deteriorating financial situation became evident when he spoke outside court in November, where he stated:
I don't have a car. I don't have a credit card. I don't have cash.… I don't have a penny, they have put stop orders on my Social Security account
The court proceedings have revealed the extent of Giuliani's financial difficulties, as he struggles to maintain control over his remaining assets while facing substantial legal judgments.
The newly unsealed witness list includes five individuals who will play crucial roles in determining the status of Giuliani's Florida property. Among them is Monsignor Alan Placa, a retired priest known to be Giuliani's longtime best friend, who has his own controversial history connected to the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal in New York.
Maria Ryan, reportedly Giuliani's girlfriend, and Michael Ragusa, a former Rikers Island investigator and city council candidate, are also scheduled to testify. Both witnesses are expected to provide approximately 30-minute testimonies confirming Giuliani's full-time residency at the Florida condominium.
The court's decision to unseal the witness list came after Giuliani filed the document on December 23, requesting it remain confidential. Judge Liman's order explicitly stated that he had neither directed nor permitted the list to be filed under seal, demonstrating the court's commitment to maintaining transparency in these proceedings.
The current legal battle represents another chapter in Giuliani's mounting legal challenges, which stem from his role in promoting false claims about the 2020 election. The former mayor's attempt to protect his Florida property highlights the significant financial impact of the defamation verdict.
Court proceedings have revealed the intricate nature of this property dispute as Giuliani attempts to navigate Florida's homestead protection laws while facing substantial financial obligations from the defamation judgment.
The upcoming trial will determine whether Rudy Giuliani can retain ownership of his Florida condominium as he faces the consequences of a $148 million defamation verdict. The case centers on his claim that the Florida property serves as his primary residence, which would protect it from seizure under state law.
With Judge Liman's denial of Giuliani's request to seal his witness list and the scheduled testimony of five witnesses, including close associates and his reported girlfriend, the trial promises to be a crucial moment in determining the former mayor's financial future.
