Rudy Giuliani must give up World Series rings over damages case, lawyers say
8 January 2025, 10:14
The former New York City mayor owes £118 million dollars to two Georgia election workers after he was found to have defamed them.
Lawyers for two former Georgia election workers who are owed 148 million dollars (£118 million) in damages after suing Rudy Giuliani for defamation have said evidence proves their clients are entitled to three World Series rings that the former New York City mayor says he gave to his son.
The lawyers filed papers in Manhattan federal court, asking a judge to find that their clients should be given the rings marking the New York Yankees baseball team’s victories in 1996, 1999 and 2000.
They noted that Giuliani listed the rings among his assets at a bankruptcy proceeding in 2023 and said his son had provided no evidence beyond his testimony to support his claim to the rings.
A trial over the custody of the rings and Giuliani’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida is scheduled for January 16, taking place before a judge who found Giuliani in contempt of court over his responses to orders to turn over evidence pertaining to his assets.
Giuliani, 80, testified last month that he told George Steinbrenner when the late Yankees owner gave him four rings in 2002 that “these are for Andrew”, meaning his then-teenage son, Andrew Giuliani, now 38.
He said he paid for them and gave one immediately to his son and kept three others, eventually giving him the rest at a birthday party in 2018. He estimated the rings are now worth about 27,000 dollars (£21,500).
The rings and the Florida property, which Giuliani insists is his legal residence and is protected from the judgment, are the remaining contested assets after the one-time personal lawyer to President-elect Donald Trump gave up other valuable assets including his Manhattan apartment, a Mercedes once owned by actor Lauren Bacall and watches.
Giuliani has said he does not know what happened to a jersey signed by Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio or a photograph signed by another beloved player, Reggie Jackson.
Lawyers for the former election workers involved in the case, mother and daughter Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, wrote in court papers that Giuliani’s son had failed to provide any direct evidence “other than his own self-serving testimony” to show that he accepted the ring from his father on May 26 2018, or any time prior to this past October.
They said he has never appraised the rings, cleaned them or listed the rings on his renter’s insurance policy or taken out a separate policy to insure the rings. They also said he had never undertaken any tax, estate or financial planning related to the rings.
The lawyers said that although Giuliani said he gave the rings to his son in 2018, his son testified that he received them no earlier than mid-year 2023, when Giuliani put his Manhattan apartment up for sale.
They wrote that if the judge found the rings indeed were given away in 2023, then he should rule that the exchange was fraudulent.
Ted Goodman, a publicist for Giuliani, said the lawyers for the Georgia women “can celebrate over their fight to take Mayor Giuliani’s most cherished personal belongings including his signed baseball jersey of his childhood hero and his grandfather’s pocket watch, but they can never take away his extraordinary record of public service”.
