Courtroom sketch artist Jane Rosenberg revealed to Reuters that during a break in his contempt hearing this week, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani lashed out at her over her portrayal of him in her sketches.
Giuliani is reportedly outraged after being held in contempt on Monday for failing to hand over certain assets to election workers whom he had falsely accused of ballot manipulation.
The court ordered him to pay $148 million in the defamation case. A judge ruled this week that Giuliani violated a court order requiring him to cooperate in transferring personal assets to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Giuliani was found to have falsely accused the two workers of ballot tampering during the 2020 presidential election.
During a break in the hearing, Giuliani asked Rosenberg if she would make him look "nice," according to Rosenberg, who was documenting the proceedings for Reuters. He then criticized a drawing she had made of him during a previous session, mimicking the artwork by scrunching his face into a scowl.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Rosenberg said Giuliani told her:
"You made me look like my dog."
Those sketches, produced last month, documented the moment Judge Louis Liman suggested that Giuliani had not fully complied with the order to turn over his assets, sparking an angry response from Giuliani, who complained the case had caused significant personal upheaval.
Liman expressed skepticism over Giuliani’s claim of difficulty obtaining paperwork to transfer ownership of the car. Leaning forward and pointing his finger at the judge, Giuliani insisted he had applied for the document, but it had not yet arrived.
Rosenberg's sketches portrayed Giuliani when he spoke out of turn and scolded the judge with the following remark:
“Your implication that I have been not diligent about this is totally incorrect. I’m not impoverished. Everything I have is tied up."
"I don’t have a car, I don’t have a credit card, I don’t have cash. I can’t pay my bills.”
Liman scolded Giuliani for his outburst, warning Giuliani's attorneys that he is "not going to be permitted to speak and the court will take action" the next time he interrupts a hearing.
Many found Giuliani's reaction to these sketches hilarious, mocking him as a result.
According to Liman, Giuliani "willfully violated an unambiguous order of the court" by failing to provide information when he was supposed to, adding that Giuliani "has attempted to run the clock by stalling." Liman said that he'd rule on "appropriate sanctions" against Giuliani later.
Giuliani testified remotely earlier in the day from Florida, telling his lawyer that he had attempted to comply with court orders in the case, blaming earlier failures on his previous attorney. He also expressed frustration over managing multiple legal battles, including two criminal cases and two other defamation suits stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
A trial in the New York case is set for January 16 to resolve the status of some of Giuliani's assets, including his Florida condo and his Yankees World Series rings, which he claims were gifted to his son years ago.
Separately, Giuliani faces a second contempt proceeding in Washington, D.C., this week regarding potential sanctions for continuing to defame Freeman and Moss on his live-streamed “America’s Mayor Live” show, in violation of a court-ordered agreement.
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