Judge punishes Rudy Giuliani for 'continued and flagrant disregard' of court orders
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said jurors at an upcoming trial will be told that the former Trump lawyer intentionally tried to hide financial documents. Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani addresses reporters outside the Merrimack County Superior Court in Concord, N.H., on Oct. 4.Charles Krupa / AP file
The judge presiding over the upcoming damages trial against Rudy Giulianisaid Friday she will tell jurors that the former Trump lawyer intentionally hid financial documents and other records in defiance of court orders.
In a five-page ruling .. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720.102.0.pdf , U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said the move was necessary given "Giuliani’s continued and flagrant disregard of this Court’s August 30 Order that he produce financial-related documents concerning his personal and his businesses’ past and present assets" and other pertinent information.
"The jury will be instructed that it must, when determining an appropriate sum of compensatory, presumed, and punitive damages, infer that defendant Giuliani was intentionally trying to hide relevant discovery about the Giuliani Businesses’ finances for the purpose of shielding his assets from discovery and artificially deflating his net worth," the judge wrote.
Additionally, Giuliani and his lawyer will be prohibited "from making any argument, or introducing any evidence, stating or suggesting that he is insolvent, bankrupt, judgment proof, or otherwise unable to defend himself" since he failed to hand over evidence that would show that's true, the judge wrote.
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Giuliani had claimed the two were “passing around USB ports like they were vials of heroin or cocaine” as they were counting votes. A report published by the House Jan. 6 committee found that they were passing a ginger mint.
"Consistent with his prior track record in this matter, Giuliani failed to file any response," the judge wrote.
Friday's ruling comes as Giuliani faces increased legal and financial problems. He's been charged criminally in the Fulton County racketeering case with Trump and more than a dozen others. All but one of the 19 defendants has pleaded not guilty.
Giuliani's also being sued by his former lawyers, who allege he owes them about $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees. Giuliani has called the bill excessive.
He also owes the IRS almost $550,000 in unpaid federal taxes. Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman said last week that he "has a formal agreement with the IRS to pay off the liability.”
Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.
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