Rudy Giuliani Is Hiding Lauren Bacall’s Mercedes Somewhere In Florida [Update]

For someone the press once called “America’s Mayor,” Rudy Giuliani sure has had a fall from grace. He’s been disbarred, sued and is now a national laughingstock. He also happens to owe a shit-ton of money to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two election workers he defamed following the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost. A judge has since ordered him to turn over his property and valuables, including a Mercedes-Benz 500SL previously owned by legendary actor Lauren Bacall. Instead of complying, though, he’s reportedly hidden the car somewhere in Florida.

Update Tuesday November 5, 2024 4:25 p.m. EST – They found it!

It’s not just the 500SL that Rudy’s hiding, either. According to the court filing, Freeman and Moss claim that when they visited the New York apartment Guiliani had to give them, it was almost empty and contained essentially none of the valuables he was also supposed to give them. As their lawyer put it:

Save for some rugs, a dining room table, some stray pieces of small furniture and inexpensive wall art, and a handful of smaller items like dishes and stereo equipment, the Apartment has been emptied of all of its contents. Notably, that includes the vast majority (if not all) of the valuable receivership property that was known to be stored there, including (based upon listing photographs of the Apartment), art, sports memorabilia, expensive furniture, and other items not conspicuous enough to appear in listing photographs. According to the representative of Douglas Elliman who accompanied the Receivers’ representatives to the Apartment, Defendant or his representatives moved most of the contents of the Apartment out approximately four weeks prior to Thursday’s visit, with some additional items having been moved at a later date.

That is, of course, sketchy as hell, but we’re talking about Rudy Giuliani here, so I’m not sure what else anyone expected. Trying to hide assets after being convicted of crimes is a very MAGA thing to do. CNN reports that Giuliani’s lawyers claim most of the missing possessions are currently being stored on Long Island, which may be true but also doesn’t pass the smell test considering Freeman and Moss’s lawyer also reportedly claimed they have been unable to access the storage facility. As for the Benz, the filing says Giuliani’s lawyer “has indicated that the Mercedes automobile is located in Florida, but has not said where it is garaged.”

Eventually, of course, he’s going to have to give everything up and answer for any valuables that can’t be accounted for. Judges don’t look kindly on defendants hiding their assets, and while it’s possible he may be able to make some cash and a few Shinola watches disappear, it isn’t like they aren’t already onto his games. As the filing points out:

Defendant acknowledged that he does not actually know where the co-op share
certificates or the proprietary lease actually are. The Receivers have also learned that the co-op’s records (and consequently, the share certificates) were never updated following the legal transfer of the co-op into Defendant’s exclusive possession and ownership following his divorce from Judith Giuliani. While these are, at worst, paperwork issues to be addressed with the co-op and the Defendant, they further call into question Defendant’s posture of readiness and cooperation expressed on October 29.

…

Defendant’s counsel has provided statements from Defendant’s Citibank
accounts purporting to show that Defendant has only $3,907.99 in non-exempt funds subject to the Turnover and Receivership Order. That revelation, combined with transactions listed on the statements showing five-figure transfers of funds out of the -5812 account in the months of July and August, raise significant questions about the location of other cash assets belonging to Defendant.

CNN also reports that Giuliani has been ordered to appear in court to explain what the hell is going on. Hopefully, Judge Liman will be annoyed enough to also order him to turn over his Palm Beach condo and his World Series rings, too. Not because the rings are that important but because he shouldn’t get to keep anything nice after what he’s done. I’d say he deserves to spend the rest of his days living out of a La Quinta, but that would be an insult to La Quinta and the far-too-fancy-for-Rudy continental breakfast that’s included with every room. Maybe a van down by the river? At the very least, we know he won’t be living out of Lauren Bacall’s Mercedes.