Rudy Giuliani is 'going to jail' if he keeps being 'shady' about his finances: expert

Former President Donald Trump's ally Rudy Giuliani will be working off his debts to election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss until the day he dies, former federal prosecutor Paul Butler told MSNBC's Joy Reid on Thursday evening.

This comes after Giuliani, who pushed reputation-destroying conspiracy theories about Freeman and Moss stuffing ballots during the vote count in Atlanta, was held liable for $148 million in damages from the election workers' defamation case — and after he filed for bankruptcy today, in an apparent move to protect his assets.

"The bankruptcy, can he wriggle out of it?" asked Reid. "He owes the IRS $202,000, and $521,000 for another judgment. He owes the New York Department of Tax and Finance, he owes his lawyers that he didn't pay, and then there's a long list of people that he also owes, including Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, $148 million. Which of those things can he delay through bankruptcy?"

"Good news and bad news," said Butler. "The good news is this will force some transparency. Giuliani has been really shady, including in this trial, about where his money is. That's one reason the judge ordered him to pay up now. If he lies about his assets where they are in a bankruptcy court, that's a crime. Going to jail. The bad news is it's going to take longer for Ms. Moss and Ms. Freeman to get paid."

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Nevertheless, he added, "Rudy's bankruptcy doesn't discharge his debt to them. There's an exception for intentional torts like defamation. So Freeman and Moss should get paid at some point. It's just a question of when, but they will be near the front of the line." Moreover, for all of his reported financial stress, "Rudy is not broke. He's got an apartment in New York. He's got a condo in Florida, and he's got money in the bank."

"So at some point, if this $148 million verdict survives appeal, Rudy Giuliani is going to be working for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss for the rest of his natural life," Butler concluded.

Watch the video below or at the link.

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