\n<\/p>\n
Nearly two dozen reporters and spectators settled into a drafty 15th-floor Manhattan federal courtroom Thursday morning expecting to hear Rudy Giuliani<\/strong> testify in a trial that would determine whether he gets to keep his $3.5 million Florida condo and three World Series rings.<\/p>\n Except the former New York City mayor never showed up.<\/p>\n Giuliani was expected to take the stand and plead against his prized possessions being taken away as part of a $148 million defamation judgment<\/a> awarded to two Georgia election workers the former mayor had repeatedly and falsely claimed helped steal the 2020 election.<\/p>\n But after hours of confusion over his absence, the parties unceremoniously announced the case had been tentatively settled and Giuliani would get to hang on to his house and sports memorabilia.<\/p>\n The courtroom initially buzzed with anticipation of some high drama but quickly turned quiet when Giuliani failed to show and lawyers shuffled in and out of Judge Lewis J. Liman<\/strong>\u2019s chambers. After an hour, Liman\u2019s brother, Hollywood film director Doug Liman,<\/strong> presumably there to catch the scene himself, gave up and abandoned his front-row seat.<\/p>\n The search for clues of Giuliani\u2019s whereabouts grew comedic after a video posted to his X account showed his Pomeranian dog, Vinny, wearing a tie and \u201changing out<\/a>\u201d at Donald Trump<\/strong>\u2019s Mar-a-Lago resort while Bobby McFerrin\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Worry, Be Happy\u201d played in the background.<\/p>\n Pressed for answers by a gaggle of confused attendees, Giuliani\u2019s defense lawyer only replied \u201csoon\u201d before rushing out of the room with an Airpod in one ear, whispering on the phone with a hand over his mouth.<\/p>\n At around 1:15 p.m., more than four hours after the bench trial was set to begin, a courtroom official finally told the crowd to go home, cryptically telling reporters to keep an eye on the official docket for updates. Minutes later, the mystery was solved: Giuliani had reached a tentative settlement deal<\/a> with the two poll workers, Ruby Freeman<\/strong> and Shaye Moss,<\/strong> that would let him keep his assets.<\/p>\n \u201cI have reached a resolution of the litigation with the Plaintiffs that will result in a satisfaction of the Plaintiffs\u2019 judgment. This resolution does not involve an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any of the Parties,\u201d Giuliani said in a statement posted on X<\/a>. \u201cI am satisfied with and have no grievances relating to the result we have reached. I have been able to retain my New York co-op and Florida Condominium and all of my personal belongings.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cNo one deserves to be subjected to threats, harassment, or intimidation. This litigation has taken its toll on all parties. This whole episode was unfortunate. I and the Plaintiffs have agreed not to ever talk about each other in any defamatory manner, and I urge others to do the same.\u201d The specific details of the settlement remain unclear.<\/p>\n The settlement marked a somewhat anticlimactic end to Moss and Freeman\u2019s courtroom battles to collect the rest of their multimillion-dollar judgment from Giuliani after he was found liable for defaming them in 2023.<\/p>\n In the last week alone, Giuliani was held in contempt of court in New York<\/a> and Washington<\/a> after failing to turn over millions of dollars worth of assets as part of the case. So far, the 80-year-old disbarred lawyer has surrendered his $6 million New York City apartment<\/a>, several luxury watches, and his 1980 Mercedes-Benz convertible once owned by Lauren Bacall (which he drove to the Florida polls<\/a> this past Election Day).<\/p>\n Giuliani was expected to argue Thursday that his New York condo was his primary residence and thus cannot be turned over. His son, Andrew Giuliani,<\/strong> was set to testify that the three World Series rings\u2014made personally for his father after the New York Yankees won in 1996, 1999, and 2000\u2014were gifted to him by the former mayor almost seven years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cThe past four years have been a living nightmare. We have fought to clear our names, restore our reputations, and prove that we did nothing wrong,\u201d Freeman and Moss said in a statement. \u201cToday is a major milestone in our journey. We have reached an agreement and we can now move forward with our lives. We have agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n