A judge presiding over Rudy Giuliani’s damages trial on Friday dealt a heavy blow to the former Trump lawyer for his “flagrant” attempt to hide evidence from the court.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell asserted that jurors would now be informed about Giuliani’s intentional efforts to conceal crucial financial documents and records, a move defiantly made against explicit court directives.
“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, revenues, income, viewership metrics, and social media, all of which information is potentially pertinent at the upcoming damages trial,” Howell wrote in his ruling.
This latest development follows Judge Howell’s previous ruling in August, where Giuliani was found legally liable for defaming Georgia election workers and perpetuating false claims about the 2020 election results favoring Donald Trump.
In a scathing release on Friday, Judge Howell emphasized Giuliani’s consistent failure to respond to the submission of materials, despite the September 22 deadline. Drawing attention to Giuliani’s “prior track record,” the judge ruled that the jury must infer Giuliani’s deliberate attempt to conceal information about his businesses and social media when determining the “appropriate sum” of damages.
Notably, the judge instructed the jury to infer that Giuliani received “substantial benefits” for defaming election workers and that his businesses are still generating revenue from their operations. The order explicitly bars Giuliani and his counsel from presenting arguments or evidence related to his financial benefits. Giuliani is also prohibited from asserting that he is insolvent, bankrupt, judgment-proof, or incapable of complying with court orders.
The five-page ruling, released just ahead of the scheduled December 11 trial, underscores the severity of Giuliani’s actions and sets the stage for a trial where his attempts to hide evidence will be front and center.
