Rudy Giuliani has asked a judge to allow him to appear virtually for contempt of court proceedings in Washington, D.C., because of poor health just days after he attended an event at President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
In a motion on Wednesday, his attorneys wrote that he suffers from "a number of medical conditions that make travel challenging and risky."
Newsweek contacted Giuliani's attorneys for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Giuliani, a former attorney for Trump, is due in federal court on Friday on a contempt motion related to the defamation case brought against him by Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two former Georgia election workers.
It comes days after a judge found him in contempt of court for failing to properly respond to requests for information as he turned over assets to satisfy a defamation judgement. A jury in December 2023 ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million in damages to the women who sued him over lies he spread about them as part of efforts to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.
In November, Freeman and Moss asked U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell to hold Giuliani in contempt, alleging he continued to make defamatory claims about them even after the huge judgement.
What to Know
In the motion filed Wednesday, Giuliani's attorneys asked Howell to allow him to appear remotely at Friday's hearing.
"Mayor Giuliani lives in Florida," the motion states. "He is 80 years old and suffers from a number of medical conditions. These include a severe knee conditions, one which involves a knee that has already been the subject of emergency surgery and the other that will require surgery and rehab, as well as a lung condition that requires the use of an inhaler.
"Moreover, Mayor Giuliani has had two stents inserted to deal with a 95% blockage in one coronary artery and an 85% blockage in the other coronary artery. Mayor Giuliani takes medication for his heart condition and carries nitroglycerin with him at all times."
The motion also cites "a number of credible death threats" against Giuliani as another reason why he should be permitted to avoid attending the hearing in person.
"As one of the more outspoken critics of the current Iranian regime, at a time of heightened terrorism concerns following the recent events in New Orleans and Las Vegas and the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and its various proxies, it is reasonable to take extra precautions regarding Mayor Giuliani's safety, and to limit travel whenever possible," the motion states.
Howell considered the request, and issued a minute order that requires Giuliani to file a sworn declaration "under penalty of perjury" saying that "he has been unable to travel and has not traveled from his residence in Florida" for the past 30 days in order to be excused from in-person attendance at the hearing.
Howell's order also said Giuliani must swear that "he remains unable to and will not travel in the next 30 days (i.e., the period from December 9, 2024, to February 7, 2025), due to these same medical conditions and security concerns."
However, Giuliani was among the attendees at an event held at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort over the weekend.
He later posted an image of himself greeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on his Instagram account, writing in a caption: "I was honored to welcome Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Mar-a-Lago this weekend. Prime Minister Meloni is a fantastic leader and will serve as a strong ally and friend to President Donald Trump and the American people."
Furthermore, the declaration would require Giuliani to agree not to attend Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20.
What People Are Saying
Lisa Rubin, a legal correspondent for MSNBC and a former litigator, wrote on X that Giuliani "has claimed he can't come because of serious health issues & death threats. So Judge Beryl Howell just called his bluff.
"Her order directs Giuliani to submit a sworn declaration by tomorrow attesting he has not traveled, except as required for court appearances, over the last 30 days and will not do so over the next 30. Gulp."
What's Next
Howell has given Giuliani until 2 p.m. on Thursday to file the sworn declaration.
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About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on abortion rights, race, education, sexual ... Read more