CNN
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Rudy Giuliani has reached an agreement with two Georgia election officials he defamed to settle the nearly $150 million judgment against him, in a deal that will allow him to keep his home and most valuable assets. precious.
The settlement agreement ends a yearlong saga over Giuliani’s false statements following the 2020 presidential election, when the former New York mayor was a lawyer for then-President Donald Trump.
Giuliani was about to go to trial and potentially lose the Florida condo he says he lives in as well as several New York Yankees World Series rings. He had been in litigation with the women, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, over whether his $3.5 million apartment in Florida was his primary residence and could be exempt from the women’s debt collection efforts.
“The last four years have been a nightmare. We fought to clear our name, restore our reputation and prove that we did nothing wrong,” Freeman and Moss said in a statement. “Today is a major milestone in our journey. We reached an agreement and we can now move forward with our lives. We agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to keep his assets in exchange for compensation and his promise to never defame us.
Freeman and Moss had already been awarded in court many of Giuliani’s most prized possessions, including his $6 million Manhattan apartment, more than a dozen luxury watches, furniture and baseball memorabilia. Yet they have struggled to recover some items in recent months, despite several court orders ordering Giuliani to return his belongings.
Giuliani said in an article on in Florida. “This resolution does not imply an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of any party,” he said in the message posted after the settlement was announced.
“This litigation has had harmful consequences on all parties. This whole episode was unfortunate,” Giuliani continued. “The plaintiffs and I have agreed to never speak of each other in a defamatory manner, and I urge others to do the same.”
With Giuliani’s net worth estimated at $10 million, including his real estate, Moss and Freeman could never have recouped all of the $150 million they earned from Giuliani.
But millions of dollars would have been needed to cover even the most basic debts that Freeman and Moss obtained court permission to collect from him. Moss and Freeman’s lawyers, working pro bono, had also invested tens of thousands of dollars in legal work into their case, and the courts had told Giuliani he had to pay part of their fees.
Outside the courthouse on Thursday, Giuliani’s lawyer declined to answer numerous questions about the details of the settlement, including whether there was any money involved. He declined to say whether anyone was intervened to help Giuliani and even cut off a journalist who began to ask questions about the president-elect.
“No comment on anything with the president,” said Giuliani’s lawyer, Joseph Cammarata. “It’s about the American mayor.”
In recent days, Trump himself posted on social media “SAVE RUDY!!! »
Giuliani, 80, has struggled with physical health issues in recent months, he said. He has appeared in court several times for hearings and has been sworn in several times in recent weeks, with Georgia election staff attorneys and judges repeatedly questioning him about following court orders.
In recent days, federal judges have twice found him in contempt of court.
Giuliani said he plans to attend events around Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration next week.
On Thursday morning, as his trial was scheduled to take place, Giuliani posted a video on X of a small dog wearing a tie next to a fountain at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club. The song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” plays in the music video.
“Vinny loves spending time at Mar-a-Lago, but he’s ready to spend a lot more time in Washington, DC over the next four years to support his favorite president, Donald J. Trump!,” the post read. , which included an American flag emoji.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
