Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump, has been held in court contempt by a federal judge over his failure to cooperate with the process to hand over his $11 million assets to Georgia election workers whom he falsely accused of helping to steal the 2020 presidential election.

In 2023, an eight-person jury had found Mr Giuliani of defaming Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, after the former New York mayor repeatedly accused them of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which his former boss lost.

Subsequently, $148 million was awarded against Mr Giuliani in damages, throwing him into a huge financial mess.

As part of the down payment to settle the debt he owes, Mr Giuliani must hand over his assets.

But he has refused to comply with the process, and Judge Lewis Liman of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan has now held him in contempt.

According to the New York Times, Mr Giuliani has blocked attempts by the election workers to determine his real place of primary residence in an effort to avoid the forfeiture of his Palm Beach condo in Florida.

He argued that the Palm Beach home should be seizure-free because it is his primary residence.

Frustrated by Mr Giuliani’s antics, Mr Liman ruled that he had obstructed attempts to prove his place of primary residence, ruling that his failure to comply would permit the court to draw negative conclusions about his Florida residency status.

“The defendant has been attempting to run out the clock,” Mr Liman said. “The fact that he is a busy person and relied on others is not an excuse.”

The judge did not specify details of the contempt.

Mr Giuliani’s defence is expected back in court on January 16 to argue why his Palm Beach home should be exempted from seizure.