Rudy Giuliani’s Legal Team Seeks to Withdraw from Defamation Case
Rudy Giuliani’s attorneys are requesting to be removed from representing the former mayor as he tries to escape a $148 million defamation judgment owed to two Georgia election workers.
The lawyers, Kenneth Caruso and David Labkowski, filed a document in Manhattan federal court citing a disagreement on legal strategy as the reason for wanting to leave the case. Giuliani’s assets, including his New York City apartment, Yankees World Series rings, and vintage Mercedes, are at stake in the lawsuit.
Although the specifics of the disagreement were not disclosed in the court filing, Caruso mentioned that attorneys can withdraw from a case due to a “fundamental disagreement” or if a client insists on presenting a claim that is not supported by existing law.
Approval from Judge Lewis Liman is required for the attorneys to formally withdraw from the case.
The defamation case was initiated by Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, following Giuliani’s false claims that they attempted to cheat in the 2020 presidential election. Last year, a jury ruled in favor of Freeman and Moss, awarding them a $148 million judgment.
During a recent hearing, Judge Liman criticized Giuliani for failing to disclose the locations of his assets and indicated that he may be required to testify under oath to provide truthful answers.
Freeman and Moss are seeking to seize Giuliani’s assets, including his Upper East Side apartment, watch collection, Yankees memorabilia, vintage Mercedes, and other possessions.
Despite claiming financial hardship, Giuliani has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover his legal expenses. In addition to the civil cases, Giuliani faces criminal charges in Arizona and Georgia for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The criminal case in Georgia involves Trump and several of his associates in a scheme to interfere with the state’s election results in 2016. The case has been delayed due to a controversy surrounding the district attorney’s relationship with a former prosecutor.
Giuliani’s advisor, Ted Goodman, stated that the mayor was not informed of his lawyers’ decision to withdraw from the case. Caruso’s court filing indicates that he emailed Giuliani a copy of the request to leave the case.
