United States – A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday turned down Rudy Giuliani’s request to appeal a USD 148 million defamation judgment won by the former Georgia election workers. The judge said Donald Trump’s former lawyer should concentrate on his own bankruptcy case, which has been stalled.
Judge’s Ruling
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane concurred with the creditors who were defamed election workers Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who said that Giuliani had not made any progress on selling his assets or resolving his debts, as reported by Reuters.
Bankruptcy Concerns
Giuliani must forget about the “appeal or bust” technique he has been using since he filed for Chapter 11 to be protected from bankruptcy in December, the judge said during a court hearing in White Plains, New York.
“I see it as an impediment to progress in the bankruptcy,” Lane said of the proposed appeal.
Giuliani needs Lane’s approval to appeal the defamation judgment since his Chapter 11 filing has halted all the litigation against him, including the case he lost.
Legal Background
Lane had earlier permitted Giuliani to request a new trial or challenge the amount of the judgment given to Moss and Freeman, who were falsely accused of fraud by Giuliani after Former President Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election. However, after a federal judge refused to hear Giuliani’s request in April, Lane decided that the appeal should be no more.
Implications for Giuliani
Giuliani had said that the appeal of the defamation judgment could possibly release the money that would otherwise be used to pay his other creditors, including the people who have sued him.
Rachel Strickland, a lawyer for Moss and Freeman, informed Lane that Giuliani should not be permitted to appeal and, at the same time, use his bankruptcy to avoid paying the defamation judgment and also to block other lawsuits, as reported by Reuters.
“Chapter 11 isn’t just a place to hide out, spend all your money, and wait,” Strickland said.
Media Fallout
The WABC radio show that Giuliani hosted was taken off the air on Friday because of his repeated false statements about the 2020 election. Moss and Freeman have requested Lane issue a court order to stop Giuliani from making more defamatory statements.