Judge rejects Giuliani’s attempt to keep witness list secret in upcoming trial linked to defamation case

The former New York mayor is hoping to keep his Palm Beach condo away from defamed election workers seeking to collect nearly $150 million he owes them

An upcoming trial in a federal court in Manhattan will determine if Rudy Giuliani can exempt his multi-million dollar Florida condominium from a list of property he must hand over to mother-and-daughter election workers trying to collect on their $150 million defamation judgment against him.

The case has exploded into a lengthy legal back and forth, with dozens of court filings and briefings about the state of Giuliani’s assets and whether he has complied with court orders to turn them over to the election workers.

Donald Trump’s former attorney turned in a list of people he intends to call as witnesses at the trial — which he tried to keep under seal, despite the fact that the court had “neither directed nor permitted this list to be filed under seal,” a judge wrote in response Monday.

The trial on January 16 will determine whether Giuliani can claim a homestead exemption for his Palm Beach condo, which he had previously claimed was his permanent property, and exempt from any court orders to hand the keys over to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

But attorneys for the defamed women have argued that Giuliani was treating the property as a vacation home, not a permanent residence, and have accused the former mayor of repeatedly dodging questions about it.

Rudy Giuliani will face a mini-trial in federal court in January to determine if he can exempt his Florida condo from election workers trying to seize his assets to collect on the $150 million defamation verdict against him (Getty Images)

Giuliani’s son, Andrew, is expected to appear at trial to also testify about the ownership of World Series rings he claims his father had gifted him. The elder Giuliani has already handed over a 1980 Mercedes Benz convertible, his New York penthouse apartment and other valuables locked up in a storage facility, among other items.

The former New York City mayor is seeking to present several witnesses at the mini trial, including his friend Alan Placa, a retired priest who played a central role in the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal in New York.

Giuliani also plans to call Maria Ryan, Ryan Medrano, and Michael Ragusa, who are expected to testify to Giuliani’s move to Florida. Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s current spokesperson, may also testify “if the need arises.”

Giuliani’s latest mess joins a long list of courtroom rebukes and legal failures.

The trial over the Florida property will follow a contempt hearing scheduled for January 3, when District Judge Lewis Liman will hear from Trump’s former attorney why he should not face severe sanctions for repeatedly dodging court orders and deadlines in the case.

In a filing last week, Judge Liman dismissed Giuliani’s defense — and said he would be prepared to rule from the bench.

The case stems from Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election, when Giuliani falsely accused Freeman and Moss of manipulating election results in Georgia. They sued him for defamation in Washington, D.C., and in December 2023, a jury awarded them $148 million in damages.

Giuliani then filed for bankruptcy. But after a protracted legal battle, that case was dismissed earlier this year to let Giuliani and his many creditors battle for control of his assets in separate courtrooms overseeing the lawsuits against him.

Judge Liman is overseeing the turnover of Giuliani’s property.

Giuliani will also face a contempt hearing in Washington, D.C., next month, after election workers accused him of repeatedly violating a court order that prevents him from repeating the same false statements about them.