Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and personal lawyer to Donald Trump, has pleaded poverty in a US court, telling a judge he has no car, credit card, or cash.
Guiliani, 80, was appearing in federal court in the city before a January trial to decide which assets he must hand over to two Georgia election workers he accused of lying to help steal the 2020 presidential contest from Mr Trump, who lost to Joe Biden.
Last December, the now-disbarred lawyer was told to pay $148m (£118m) in damages to Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea Moss.
The women told a Washington court their reputations were ruined and racist and violent threats were made against them that turned their lives upside down because of Giuliani’s lies.
On Tuesday, Giuliani complained his daily life had been hamstrung by the pair and, after Manhattan District Court Judge Lewis Liman cast doubt on his inability to find paperwork for a car, he pointed at the judge and said: “Your implication that I have been not diligent about this is totally incorrect.
“I don’t have a car, I don’t have a credit card, I don’t have cash. I can’t pay my bills.”
Judge Liman warned Giuliani not to speak again in court unless testifying under oath and said his highest priority should be “complying with the court’s orders. Period.”
Judge Liman had previously threatened the defendant with civil contempt for failing to surrender assets, including a luxury Manhattan apartment, to partially cover what he owes.
Giuliani’s lawyer Joseph Cammarata told Judge Liman that his client had turned over 90% of the assets, but Giuliani’s property in Florida and sports memorabilia will be at issue in the January trial.
Judge Liman also told the defendant he wouldn’t delay the trial so he could go to Trump inauguration events.
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Giuliani pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona that he was among those attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
Mr Trump, a Republican like Giuliani, won a second White House term earlier this month, beating vice president Kamala Harris.
The president-elect has long pushed debunked claims that his rightful victory in the 2020 contest was stolen from him, despite providing no evidence to support it and losing multiple court cases connected to it.
