Giuliani’s lawyers quit over ‘fundamental disagreement’

Rudy Giuliani’s attorneys on Wednesday asked to quit representing the former New York City mayor as he battles with two Georgia election workers over their efforts to collect a $146 million defamation judgment.

Attorneys Kenneth Caruso and David Labkowski cited New York’s rules that allow attorneys to withdraw when they have a “fundamental disagreement” with their client.

They also cited provisions allowing withdrawal when a client insists upon presenting a claim that can’t be supported in good faith and when a client “fails to cooperate in the representation.”

The attorneys had asked to seal their written requests entirely. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman declined to do so but did agree to redact certain details, saying it involved privileged information. Liman still must accept their ask to withdraw.

"Mayor Giuliani has not been informed by Mr. Caruso of this action. Surely Mr. Caruso would talk to the mayor, or at the very least inform him, of such a decision," Ted Goodman, Giuliani's spokesperson, said in a statement.

The twist comes as Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, whom Giuliani defamed by spreading a baseless conspiracy that they were involved in mass election fraud in 2020, appear on the cusp of collecting their massive jury award after months of litigation.

Liman had ordered Giuliani to turn over most of his assets — including his New York City apartment, Mercedes-Benz, luxury watches and signed Yankees memorabilia — to the mother-daughter duo, but their attorneys have repeatedly accused the former mayor of stonewalling the efforts. Giuliani was ordered to hand over his car by Nov. 11 after he was spotted driving it to a Florida polling place on Election Day.

Though the election workers won a $146 million judgment, they are expected to collect far less. Giuliani, in previous court filings, estimated his assets amounted to roughly $10 million.

The judge has yet to resolve whether the former mayor must hand over his Florida condo, or whether he can exempt it by declaring it his homestead. If that is denied, Giuliani has alternatively asked to keep his New York apartment.

“Wilkie Farr Law Firm is filled with a distorted left wing hate and vitriol,” Giuliani wrote Tuesday on X, referring to the election workers’ attorneys. “Judge Liman doesn't seem to know the exemptions. They have seized all my money which wasn't much. I need legal representation against these evil people. I can't buy food.”

On Wednesday, the election workers made a new ask to gain access to a storage facility Giuliani uses in New York, raising “serious concerns” about property he purportedly moved out of the apartment.

One of the election workers’ attorneys, John Langford, last week also asked to withdraw from the case, saying he was changing jobs.

Updated Nov. 14 at 5:48 a.m.