Rudy Giuliani sales pitch for "Rudy Coffee," as posted on his X account in May (@RudyGiuliani).
While Rudy Giuliani was still in bankruptcy and started selling "Rudy Coffee" bags displaying his name and visage, creditors learned that that his "alter ego" company was being paid for his services, rather than Giuliani personally, so as to wall off those funds. Now that the bankruptcy is over, with the exception of a lingering fight over the amount of fees owed, defamed Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss argue that the funds in Giuliani Communications, LLC's bank account belong to them.
Weeks ago, Freeman and Moss filed a lawsuit to collect on their $148 million judgment. They asked a New York federal court to order Giuliani to "turn over personal property in his possession" — including New York Yankees World Series rings, signed Reggie Jackson and Joe DiMaggio memorabilia, watches, a claim for "about" $2 million in "never paid" legal fees for his work on behalf of the 2020 Donald Trump campaign, "cash accounts," and his "interest" ("1,430 shares of stock") in his multi-million dollar Manhattan apartment.
"At every step, Mr. Giuliani has chosen evasion, obstruction, and outright disobedience," the plaintiffs declared. "That strategy reaches the end of the line here."
As part of their efforts to enforce the judgment and be paid as much as possible, Freeman and Moss are now looking to quash Giuliani's claimed "exemptions" over Citibank account and a bank account at Parkside Financial Bank & Trust, which one exhibit identified as the financial institution that, under an agreement with Burke Brands, was to be wired Giuliani's "80% of net profit of each sale of Rudy Coffee" on a monthly basis.
The claimed exemption, the plaintiffs said, is both "frivolous" and familiar. Freeman and Moss asked the court to keep a restraining notice in place until a judge decides on their asset "turnover motion," which they hoped would be filed "promptly."
"Mr. Giuliani is attempting to use CPLR § 5222-a—a statute designed to protect 'natural persons' from overbroad or baseless restraints—to shield his alter-ego LLC's funds from execution," the filing said. "In doing so, he is simply continuing a pattern of evasion and obstruction that has defined his conduct from the beginning of Plaintiffs' litigation against him. And he is further confirming that, in his mind, Giuliani Communications' corporate form is a tool to shield money from his creditors."
"This is wrong, as Plaintiffs will demonstrate in their forthcoming turnover motion (to be filed after resolving outstanding discovery requests relating to Giuliani Communications). In the meantime, however, Plaintiffs must deal with another of Mr. Giuliani's evasive maneuvers," Freeman and Moss continued. "Plaintiffs accordingly move pursuant to CPLR §§ 5222-a and 5240 to quash Mr. Giuliani's meritless claim of exemption and ensure that Plaintiffs' restraint on the Giuliani Communications account at Parkside remains effective pending filing and disposition of Plaintiffs' turnover motion regarding those funds."
Law&Crime sought comment from a Giuliani adviser.
Read the memo here.