NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has agreed to hand over his Mercedes to settle $148 million in damages owed to two election workers he defamed in 2020, but is holding on to a collectible baseball jersey, his lawyer said.

Giuliani, a key figure in the former Republican president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, was ordered to compensate election worker Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss in Dec 2023.

Giuliani filed for bankruptcy afterwards but was ordered by a federal judge in New York last month to surrender part of his assets, including his New York apartment, a 1980 Mercedes Benz, jewelry, numerous luxury watches, and collectible items.

In a letter to the New York judge on Friday, his lawyer stated that Rudy Giuliani had begun complying by handing over the watches, a ring, and the Mercedes that same day.

However, he argued that some items should be exempt from the court-ordered seizure, particularly a jersey signed by baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.

The lawyer also requested that a court appearance scheduled for Jan 16 be postponed until Jan 22 so that Giuliani could attend Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on January 20. Giuliani was judged guilty of defaming the two women as they took part in a vote count in the swing state of Georgia after the presidential election in 2020.

Using a video showing the two women passing an object — later revealed to be a mint — the former New York mayor and prosecutor had claimed they were exchanging a USB drive “like vials of heroin or cocaine” to rig the results.

Freeman and Moss, who are Black, told the jury during the defamation trial that Giuliani’s false accusations had upended their lives and made them the target of racist threats.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024