Legal AF by MeidasTouch - Trump Gets SURPRISE TWIST on $150 MILLION Defamation Award

Episode Date: October 9, 2024

Fighting to avoid paying Georgia election workers the $150 million they are owed for being defamed by gun, Rudy Giuliani may have admitted that he lied to a federal bankruptcy judge that he was owed $2 million dollars from Trump for attorneys fees. Michael Popok reports that based on a new court filing by his lawyers, he cast doubt that he’s really owed the money, and wants to stop the election workers from suing Trump for the phony fee claim in his name, claiming, what else, election interference! Head to https://Rhone.com/LEGALAF and use code LEGALAF to save 20% off your entire order! Visit https://meidastouch.com for more! Join the Legal AF Patreon: https://Patreon.com/LegalAF Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Lights On with Jessica Denson: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/lights-on-with-jessica-denson On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Michael Popak, Legal AF, with a boo-hoo hot take for Rudy Giuliani trying to stop enforcement of a $150 million judgment he has nobody to blame for but himself. That's obtained by Ruby Freeman and Shea Moss, those Fulton County election workers who were horribly defamed and doxed and violently attacked in rhetoric and otherwise by Rudy Giuliani and others. And now he's busy trying to hide all of his assets. And he's trying to stop his assets from being sold. He only has about $10 million of assets when I say only. It's not enough to pay the 150 million,

but it's all gotta go. I feel like I'm some sort of Columbus Day sale commercial. It's all gotta go. Rudy Giuliani, he has an apartment in the Upper East Side of New York, gotta go. He's got a condo down in Florida, gotta go. He's an apartment on the Upper East Side of New York. Gotta go! He's got a condo down in Florida. Gotta go! He's got Yankee memorabilia for when he was a mayor of New York. Gotta go! Gotta watch from his grandfather, a gift from the president of Italy. Gotta go! So what does he do?

He's scrambling around because he doesn't have a, as my grandfather would say, he doesn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of and all those windows are soon to be sold. So he hires a lawyer who's a buddy of his. Let's start calling things what they are. When I saw Ken Caruso's name at the bottom of this new filing in which he's begging the court, listen to this, not to turn over the claim that Donald Trump owes Rudy Giuliani $2 million for legal fees, not because the claim is not legitimate, not because Rudy Giuliani isn't owed the money by

Donald Trump, but he wants the turnover of the claim, meaning the physical ownership of the claim to go after Donald Trump for the money by Ruby Freeman and Shane Moss, where they would own the claim to be able to go after Donald Trump. They want that to happen on November 6th. Freeman and Shane Moss where they would own the claim to be able to go after Donald Trump, they want that to happen on November 6th. Hmm, that's an interesting choice of dates. Why November the 6th? Because it's after the election and they don't want, if they don't want, this is their argument, I'm going to read it to you in a minute.

I don't know how they were able to write this in six pages, but they actually typed these letters in this order and it came out this way. Don't allow Ruby Freeman and Shade Moss, their lawyers, to get their hands on the $2 million I'm owed by Donald Trump, because they'll make it look like I'm suing Donald Trump for fees as Rudy Giuliani, and I don't want to do that. And it'll be some sort of election interference.

Hooray! Seriously? Oh, this is like that old adage, if you put, what is it, a hundred monkeys and typewriters in a room for an entire day, can they come out with a Shakespeare sonnet? No.

The answer is no. All right. So you got Ken Caruso, who when he wasn't working under Rudy Giuliani and Rudy wasn't his boss and appointing him to commissions in New York in the 1990s to get his career started, felt sorry for Rudy. So operating out of apparently his apartment on 72nd Street in New York, he then also co-counseled with another lawyer, a Florida lawyer. Why Florida? Because they don't want to give the condo up in Florida. And they think they're going

to win their appeal to reverse the judgment entered by a jury and by Judge Barrell Howell in the District of Columbia as a punishment against Rudy Giuliani for acting out in court, for violating 10 court orders, for not testifying, for going out of the courthouse steps and lying about the proceedings in the courtroom. He was punished. The liability case was decided by the judge as a punishment. The jury then set the dollar amount at $148 million, which I'm sure, just to bring that golden thread across I'm sure that influenced the jury who several months later against Donald Trump for defaming E Jean Carroll who he sex abused And they hit him with a hundred million dollar ninety five million dollar judgment. I wonder where they got the idea from I think it's Rudy So Rudy hires this Ken Caruso and then this other lawyer

By the name I'd never heard of but I'll tell you his name, David Lopkowski. David Lopkowski, I look at his address because I practiced law in Florida and I still do for a number of years. So I'm reading it and I'm like 250 95th Street in Surfside and I know Surfside reasonably well. I used to do legal work for them. I know theside reasonably well. I used to do legal work for them. I know the town reasonably well. And then I see his unit number.

Like I'm thinking apartment number, maybe it's his office number, and it's got a weird number, 547233. So I put it into Google Earth, like any self-respecting podcaster would do. And it's the United States Post Office in Surfside, Florida, and that's his postbox number.

So, he's got a guy that operates out of a two-by-two box inside of a mailbox in Surfside, Florida, and another guy who was his buddy, and this is what they came up with. Remember what I said at the top of the hot take? Monkeys on a typewriter all day long, Shakespeare Sonnet. Here's the Shakespeare Sonnet these guys came up with. Now, they're writing to the judge in federal court in New York. all day long Shakespeare sonnet. Here's the Shakespeare sonnet these guys came up with. Now they're writing to the judge in federal court in New York, why?

Let me just tell you how he got here first. Because Rudy has a residence here. I think he also has a residence in Florida, but his main residence is in New York. When Rudy ran to bankruptcy court to convince Judge Lane unsuccessfully that he was gonna win his appeal and that he should

not allow the liquidation of any of Rudy Giuliani's assets because he's going to win his appeal. He shouldn't have to turn over any money to Ruby Freeman and Shea Moss. Ultimately, Judge Lane found that Rudy Giuliani, because he didn't play well in the sandbox and peed in the sandbox and didn't follow the rules or the regulations, had filed a bankruptcy in bad faith and dismissed the bankruptcy so long and charged him over $300,000 for fees that he has to pay for people associated

with the bankruptcy on top of it. So bankruptcy gone, now you're left with a judgment. You're a judgment creditor. You got a piece of paper with a judgment, with a court order on it. What do you do with it? You file it in the state or the district where you think there's assets. Manhattan. Manhattan means Southern District of New York, which

means a whole new judge. So we've got this filing, and here's what they've asked for. Get ready. They say the Florida condo, don't sell that yet, judge. We've got great arguments. I'm sure they're going to raise Homestead, which is a protection for deadbeats in Florida where their houses aren't going to be taken from them. So put that aside. And the New York apartment, Judge, don't sell that right now. Sotheby's, how highfalutin, how hoity-toity.

Sotheby's Auction House, or brokers, are selling it and they're doing the best that they can. No, turn it over to a trustee, liquidate it, and sell it at an auction to the highest bidder. That's Michael Popak law right here on this Legal AF. Okay, let's get to the nitty gritty. Most clothes are uncomfortable. They're too tight or never actually the size you really are, not to mention the annoyance of trying to put a good outfit together. Everyone wants to dress their best and look good at all times because frankly, it's a confidence booster. Everyone wants to dress their best and look good at all times because, frankly, it's a confidence booster.

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It's time to find your corner office. This is my favorite, page two. Number three, defendants alleged claim against the Trump campaign. Well, defendants alleged claim? So you lied on your bankruptcy filing? You don't really have a claim against the Trump campaign for $2 million?

I mean, I know he threw a lot of things on there. He also lied and said he had a future claim against the Biden administration and Joe Biden related to defamation which never happening But you so you either lied to the bankruptcy judge Which this filing alone should be brought to the bankruptcy judge judge Lane for further post discharge proceedings against Rudy Giuliani and his lawyers and Attorneys fees and costs that's the first thing I would circle if I'm the lawyers for shame awesome Ruby Freeman

They're represented by really smart people. I'm the lawyers for Seymos and Ruby Freeman. They're represented by really smart people. I'm sure they've already circled it. I know I have. Okay, the alleged claim for two million. The court should postpone the turnover of this claim, meaning the piece of paper that says, I owe you two million dollars.

Don't turn it over to Ruby Freeman and Seymos and let them try to collect on it because plaintiffs will or until after the election because they may or will use this assignment for an improper political or at least collateral purpose creating the confusing and inaccurate appearance that that Giuliani is somehow suing Trump thereby generating and accompanying an unnecessary media frenzy. Okay first of all there's not a lot of media frenzies around Giuliani. He's been indicted twice, almost three times.

He's been disbarred twice. He's been found to be incompetent almost by a bankruptcy court and found to have filed something for fraud. He has this lowly rated, lowly subscribed to, lowly contributed to podcast. I don't know where he does it from, where he makes no money as,

you're on with America's mayor. I used to see him at a cigar bar that I'm a member of in New York. I don't even see him there any longer. It was always weird. You'd have like Al Sharpton in one part of the bar and Rudy Giuliani at the other. But apparently he's worried about being seen in public

by people with Midas Touch Network and Legal AF MTN so he doesn't show up there anymore. So don't do that. Oh boohoo, media frenzy? Really? Okay. And then he's got, oh, and then I've got all my heirlooms, all my things I don't want to get rid of, and I'm going to win my appeal. Newsflash, I hate to be a spoiler here, it's no cliffhanger, he's not going to win his appeal. Judge Lane, the bankruptcy judge, took a look at it. He said he wasn't going to win his appeal. He's not winning his appeal. So stop raising it. And then of course he's got to be maudlin and he's got to be craven and perverse and he's got to bring up 9-11. Why not? Remember I was the mayor of 9-11. I mean the running joke for Rudy Giuliani used to be he couldn't put a sentence together that didn't have Rudy Giuliani

and 9-11 in the same sentence. That's all he could say, he couldn't put a sentence together that didn't have Rudy Giuliani and 9-11 in the same sentence. That's all he could say. He couldn't get a straight sentence out. So here's what he says about that. Some of the personal property, this is on page two, under number four, has a level of public interest. Good, auction it off to the highest bidder. Plaintiffs identified a great many wristwatches.

However, a watch that was given by the president of France for defendants unprecedented public service in response to the 9-11 attacks. We also got a watch from president of Italy. Okay, good for you. Sell them to the highest bidder. Let's bid them. I think the mightiest mighty, the legal AFers and people following legal AF, MTN should buy them and help Freeman and Moss get some of their money back. They also say you should hold it because it's very hard to get it back, Judge, if we sell it and we're going to win that appeal. No, you're not. They say on page three, if this kind of unique property is sold and monetized, but the DC Circuit reverses the judgment, restitution can never be adequate.

Sure, it can. we'll give you the money second some of the property can be characterized as collectibles oh no i gotta lean in on this one this includes a 1980 mercedes automobile seriously my dad had an 83 diesel mercedes trust me it's not a collector's item um then he's got sports memorabilia, including, oh, I'm sorry, the 1980 Mercedes was owned by Lauren Bacall. How many people? Put it in the comments. How many people out there under the age of 50 know who Lauren Bacall is? I'll leave it at that. I mean, I do. I'll give you a hint. Humphrey Bogart. Okay. Sports memorabilia and classic cars. Don't do it because if you sell it, I can't get it back.

That's what the sale usually means. Then, of course, he's got to pull on the heartstrings. Are there any heartstrings left for Rudy Giuliani? And he's saying, here we go. For example, there's a wristwatch who had belonged to his grandfather and namesake, Rodolfo Giuliani, who right now isn't thinking of the scene with Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction and the watch That was handed to him that used to belong to four or five generations of Christopher Walken's family Who's not thinking of that? Go look it up. All right, so a wristwatch that was maybe

Somewhere it shouldn't have been to hide it from people By Rodolfo Giuliani. He inherited the watch from his father. I'm telling you, this is like right out of Pulp Fiction. The watch may fetch little on the market, but it has great sentimental value. And here's the spot where Christopher Walken, I'm sorry, I got it backwards. Christopher Walken is delivering the watch to a child-like or child version of Bruce Willis. And he says, and now this watch is yours. I'll put up a clip. Well, we'll run a B-like or child version of Bruce Willis. And he says, and now this watch is yours. I'll put up a clip. Well, we'll run a B-roll somewhere in the background.

I mean, give it up. I mean, I get you only spent five and a half pages of this Shakespeare sonnet that you filed, and I'm being kind. Let me give you the, let me speed this up here. It's gonna be rejected. It's gonna be denied. The court's gonna find we're gonna sell these assets.

We're gonna sell Lauren Bacall's Mercedes-Benz and all of your watches, including Rodolfo Giuliani's watches, and we're giving the $2 million claim that you told a federal judge under oath was a legitimate claim. Now you're saying it's alleged. Alleged by who?

Alleged by you. We're gonna turn that over right now, even before the election. And you know where you wanna get the updates on this? Right here, on Legal AF, on the Midas Touch Network. And on our new channel, we had to create, because there was such an overflow of law and politics stuff. I looked at the brothers on Midas Touch,

I said, what should we do about this? They said, let's form a new channel together. I said, great. There's some version of that. It's called Legal AF, MTN. You know what the MTN stands for? Midas Touch Network. Help us build it. We're building it with our bare hands as we fly the plane. I'm mixing metaphors now. I'm so excited. Go over there. We're going to hit 200,000 subscribers after just three weeks of existence with your help. I have nothing to do with it except I'm curating and I'm producing the channel just for you. It's not just me. It's lots of other people, including court accountability and other pro-democracy groups

over there at the intersection of law and politics. So until my next hot take, until my next Legal AF, arms extended wide in a giant hug concerning Legal AF MTN. This is Michael Popock and I'm reporting. In collaboration with the Midas Touch Network, we just launched the Legal AF YouTube channel. Help us build this pro-democracy channel where I'll be curating the top stories, the intersection of law and politics.

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