Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is attempting to postpone his $10 million sexual harassment and assault lawsuit by claiming he is still in bankruptcy and not yet out of it.
New York Supreme Court judge Nicholas Moyne recently ruled in favor of continuing the sexual harassment case brought by former Giuliani employee Noelle Dunphy. This decision followed the dismissal of Giuliani’s bankruptcy case by New York bankruptcy judge Sean Lane. Moyne had put a hold on Dunphy’s case when Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in December.
However, in the latest filing for the sexual harassment case, Giuliani’s lawyer, Adam Katz, argued that reopening the case was “improper” as Giuliani is still in bankruptcy.
Katz stated, “Defendants believe that lifting the bankruptcy stay is premature and improper, in light of a decision from the Hon. Sean Lane in the Giuliani Bankruptcy… calling into question whether the bankruptcy will, in fact, be dismissed.”
Giuliani declared bankruptcy in December 2023 after being ordered to pay $148 million in damages to two Georgia election workers following a defamation lawsuit. This stemmed from Giuliani falsely accusing mother and daughter Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss of election fraud while working on ballot counts in Fulton County during the 2020 election.
Giuliani sought to exit bankruptcy to avoid oversight by a court-appointed trustee who would monitor his financial transactions on behalf of creditors.
Besides the Dunphy case, Giuliani faces several other significant legal battles post-bankruptcy.
One lawsuit is from Dominion Voting Machines, accusing him of falsely claiming their machines were manipulated in favor of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election. Dominion filed a $1.3 billion lawsuit against Giuliani in January 2021. The company previously settled with Fox News for $787.5 million in a similar claim, indicating Giuliani’s potential settlement could be substantial.
Giuliani’s bankruptcy creditors include Citibank, the Emerald Dunes golf club in West Palm Beach, and numerous law firms. He still owes $148 million from the Georgia election case.