WASHINGTON − Rudy Giuliani, who previously served as a campaign lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump, has been declared in civil contempt for the second time in just a week. This ruling relates to his $148 million defamation case filed by two election workers from Georgia.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington found Giuliani in contempt for continuing to defame Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea’ “Shaye” Moss, despite his commitment to cease such behavior. Howell warned that Giuliani could face jail time if he does not comply with court directives.

“It is absolutely outrageous and shameful that Mr. Giuliani believes he is being treated unfairly,” Howell remarked.

She instructed Giuliani to file a court document within 10 days that admits the evidence presented in his civil trial in 2023 contradicted his statements. Failing to submit this declaration will result in a daily fine of $200, according to her ruling.

This ruling follows another contempt finding by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in New York earlier in the week. Liman had mandated Giuliani to hand over valuable items to Freeman and Moss, including a Mercedes Benz formerly owned by Lauren Bacall, a New York City apartment, and a signed Joe DiMaggio baseball jersey to help satisfy the debt he owes them.

Giuliani criticized Howell on social media, labeling her “bloodthirsty” and predicting a “highly prejudiced, usual, biased decision.” He described the hearing as “a hypocritical waste of time” in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.

“This was nothing but a farce,” Giuliani stated to reporters outside the courthouse. “She orchestrated an absolute farce and clown show.”

Freeman and Moss are suing Giuliani for defamation, claiming he falsely accused them of engaging in illegal ballot activities while counting votes at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

Giuliani alleged they were “passing around USB ports like they were vials of heroin or cocaine.” However, Freeman and Moss testified before Congress that they were simply sharing ginger mints.

Since the $148 million judgment in December 2023, Freeman and Moss claim Giuliani has failed to pay them “a single dollar” from his bank accounts. He did hand over the car, but without the title, the apartment still lists Giuliani’s ex-wife as an owner, and the signed jersey has yet to be provided, according to court documents.

At the first contempt hearing, Aaron Nathan, the attorney for the plaintiffs, stated, “He has deliberately refused to search for and provide documents that would respond to the plaintiffs’ requests.”

The election workers further claimed that Giuliani has persisted in defaming them through his podcast “America’s Mayor Live,” in spite of the judgment from the lawsuit.

On November 19, 2024, Giuliani accused the women of “quadruple counting” votes during the election, as per court documents. Three days later, he dismissed a court order that prohibited criticizing them, saying it was “a little ridiculous.”

At 80 years old, Giuliani contends that his life has been significantly affected by this lawsuit, although he asserts he has not “willfully disobeyed” any court orders.

“There has been considerable compliance,” claimed Giuliani’s lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, during the hearing with Liman on Monday. “There is no defiance against the court.”

This defamation case is just one of several legal challenges Giuliani faces after he made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud while contesting the 2020 election results for Trump. He is also facing criminal charges for election interference in Arizona and Georgia and has been disbarred in New York and Washington.

(This article has been updated with new information.)