Ex-New York Mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani found in contempt of court

Giuliani has been under pressure to turn over assets to pay a $148m penalty to Georgia election workers he allegedly defamed.

A judge in the United States has found Rudy Giuliani, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, in contempt of court for his failure to fully respond to requests about his assets.

Monday was the second day of Giuliani’s contempt hearing, and US District Judge Lewis J Liman ultimately ruled that he “willfully violated a clear and unambiguous order of this court”.

It was the latest chapter in an ongoing civil case that saw Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, liable for defamation over allegations made after the 2020 presidential election.

In December 2023, a jury in Washington, DC, determined that Giuliani should pay $73m in compensation and $75m as punishment to two election workers he falsely accused of tampering with the vote.

Giuliani had echoed Trump’s own unfounded claims that his 2020 defeat was the result of widespread election fraud.