Giuliani sued over luxury condo by Georgia election workers who won $148 million judgment

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million judgment against Rudolph Giuliani filed a civil lawsuit against the onetime personal lawyer to Donald Trump, accusing him of trying to put his Florida luxury condominium beyond their reach.

In a complaint filed on Friday, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea' "Shaye" Moss accused Giuliani of falsely declaring on July 13 that the Palm Beach condominium was his new primary residence, to benefit from a Florida law shielding a person's "homestead" from court judgments.

Giuliani allegedly made the declaration one day after a federal judge dismissed his bankruptcy case, which had shielded the former New York City mayor from the $148 million judgment.

Citing his daily internet broadcasts, Freeman and Moss said Giuliani has since lived mainly or entirely elsewhere.

"He is trying to 'toy with' Florida’s homestead exemption to shield a multi-million dollar asset from his creditors," they said.

A spokesperson for Giuliani did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Giuliani also has a home in Manhattan.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan seeks to let Freeman and Moss enforce an Aug. 8 lien against Giuliani's condominium, and, if they choose, to seize and sell the property.

Last December, a Washington jury ordered Giuliani to pay the $148 million to Freeman and Moss, who said he defamed them and destroyed their reputation through lies that they tried to help steal the 2020 U.S. presidential election from Trump.

Giuliani, 80, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the following week. The federal judge overseeing that case dismissed it after finding that Giuliani failed to provide a complete picture of his finances and to meet court deadlines.

That dismissal, which Giuliani had also sought, eliminated the possibility a trustee could take over his finances, but also removed protections from creditors like Freeman and Moss. It also freed Giuliani to appeal the $148 million judgment.

The case is Freeman et al v. Giuliani, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-06563.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis)