Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and personal attorney to ex-President Donald Trump, has hit rock bottom financially, as he declared bankruptcy following a hefty $148 million defamation verdict. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Giuliani claims his financial strain is due to the fallout from his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, a claim he stands by despite the resulting legal turmoil and the massive debt totaling up to $500 million, with assets only ranging between $1 million to $10 million.
Giuliani's litany of legal woes encompasses more than the defamation suit; his name is attached to multiple investigations and lawsuits, one of which involves alleged illegal interference in Georgia's 2020 election orchestrated by Giuliani as Trump's chief co-conspirator, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has brought forth indictments against Giuliani and 18 others, aims not to treat high-profile figures with leniency, saying "You can look at the charges. No one gets a special break because of their status," in comments obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta at a recent event.
Despite his bankruptcy filing, the attempt to appeal the verdict, which involves two former Fulton County election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, is seen by some as merely a stall tactic, lawyer Michael Gottlieb, representing Freeman and Moss, suggested the move won't succeed in Giuliani evading the debt, as mentioned in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Adding to Giuliani's financial distress, a federal judge ruled the election workers could start collecting on the defamation judgment promptly, expressing concerns Giuliani might hide assets to skirt payment, he also faces other lawsuits including defamation claims from voting machine companies Dominion and Smartmatic, an accusation of hacking Hunter Biden's electronic devices and a lawsuit alleging sexual assault, various liabilities that his filing for bankruptcy might not necessarily relieve.
Once hailed as "America's Mayor" for his leadership post-9/11, Giuliani's fall from grace is stark, punctuated by his continued espousal of election fraud claims; even as he faces trial as early as August 2024, both DA Willis and legal experts underscore the resilience of the judiciary process and the compelling humanity of the victims caught in Giuliani's defamatory crosshairs, "Those are two beautiful human beings. Really, really beautiful human beings," Willis said during a holiday event as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, spotlighting the real toll of Giuliani's actions.
