Trump holds press conference at Mar-a-Lago: Live updates

Judge Lewis J. Liman of the US District Court in Manhattan has not yet detailed what specific sanctions Mr Giuliani faces. But the contempt could potentially hinder the former mayor’s attempts to hold on to his Palm Beach, Florida, condo, which is valued at $3.5 million.

Mr. Giuliani’s assets include a 10-room apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan; a 1980 Mercedes-Benz Cabriolet; a collection of 26 designer watches; and rare Yankees collectibles, the most valuable of which may be an autographed and framed Joe DiMaggio jersey. (The jersey is missing.)

He is due back in federal court in Manhattan on Jan. 16 for a civil trial in which he is expected to argue that his Palm Beach condo should be exempt from seizure under Florida law because it is his primary residence. But Mr. Giuliani has repeatedly failed to answer questions that could prove his residency.

The court ruled that Mr. Giuliani had obstructed poll workers’ attempts to determine Mr. Giuliani’s actual primary residence, which for years had been the cooperative apartment on East 66th Street in Manhattan.

Judge Liman, who appeared frustrated by Mr. Giuliani’s changing justifications for the omissions, ruled that his failure to comply would allow the court to draw negative inferences about his Florida residency status, hampering his defense could.

“The defendant attempted to shorten the deadline,” Judge Liman said, adding that he was unmoved by the former mayor’s argument that he had been overwhelmed with court requests, including indictments in two criminal cases and several other civil suits. “The fact that he is a busy person and relies on others is no excuse,” he said.

The contempt charge on Monday related specifically to Mr. Giuliani’s lack of cooperation in the investigation of his condominium. He could also be charged with contempt for failing to turn over other valuables, some of which are still pending. After being grilled on the stand for several hours on Friday, Mr. Giuliani said he had made progress toward obtaining the title for the convertible, which he had to hand over to the women. But they have not yet received this title.

Mr Giuliani was allowed to attend the hearing via video conference on Monday after citing health problems. He sat at a desk in a dark blue suit, in front of a flat-screen monitor displaying a huge American flag.

Judge Liman angrily asked for the background to be removed. It was one of several delicate exchanges.

Speaking to his lawyer, Mr. Giuliani asked if he could reveal what progress he had made toward the overdue handover of his property.

“I want you to act as a witness and not as an attorney,” Judge Liman interjected.

Mr. Giuliani did not attend the hearing after the lunch break.

The court hearing focused on whether Mr. Giuliani had accommodated requests from election officials’ lawyers for emails and other communications that could clarify his residency. They also demanded a list of the legal, financial and medical experts he has consulted with since the beginning of 2020.

For several weeks, Mr. Giuliani did not answer questions, at times arguing that the requests were “egregiously excessive” and at other times citing security concerns because that period overlapped with his tenure as Donald J. Trump’s personal lawyer.

The original deadline for handing over the property was more than two months ago. But Mr. Giuliani insisted that despite his delayed responses, he had largely complied with requests for information about the assets.

At one point, Mr. Giuliani held up a gold pocket watch that matched the description of one he had inherited from his grandfather. It is one of several watches he has not yet handed over despite court orders, but he said he is now ready to transfer them to the plaintiffs.

In his last response to an overdue request in December, he included a list of his doctors’ names – but only their last names, without the addresses of their practices.

“I never intentionally tried to hide or omit a document,” Mr. Giuliani said.

Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for the women, argued that Mr. Giuliani was relying on “cherry-picked” documents that did not provide a complete picture before the condo trial.

Judge Liman largely agreed with the plaintiffs, ruling that Mr. Giuliani “willfully violated a clear and unambiguous order of the court.” He was still considering what sanctions Mr. Giuliani might face, including fines or prison time.

In a statement, Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Mr. Giuliani, called the decision politically motivated.

The women’s lawyers “may like to fight to take away Mayor Giuliani’s most valuable personal items, including his childhood hero’s signed baseball jersey and his grandfather’s pocket watch,” he said. “But they can never take away his extraordinary public service.”

Lawyers for the election workers declined to comment.

The ruling marks a new low in the fallout from the defamation case against Mr. Giuliani. In November, Mr. Giuliani’s original lawyers withdrew from the case, citing undisclosed professional ethics concerns.

In a recently unsealed letter explaining her departure, one of the lawyers, Kenneth Caruso, a longtime friend of Mr. Giuliani, said his client was not cooperating in the discovery process related to the Florida condominium and access to his electronic devices refused.

Mr. Giuliani could also face a separate contempt charge in a Washington, D.C. court on Friday. He is accused of violating an order to stop the repetition of false allegations about the women.

Eileen Sullivan contributed reporting.