Andrew Giuliani tries to keep dad’s World Series rings from being seized

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, is trying to stop his father’s World Series rings from being seized.

The younger Giuliani is attempting to block two Georgia election workers, who secured a $148 million defamation judgment against his father, from seizing the elder Giuliani’s New York Yankees World Series rings. In new court filings, Andrew Giuliani claims the rings belong to him, arguing they were gifted to him years ago.

Andrew Giuliani, who ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2022, claimed in federal court filings on Tuesday that his father gave him four World Series rings as a gift in 2018. He also stated that they had agreed the elder Giuliani would temporarily keep one of the rings to wear.

Rudy Giuliani received the four World Series rings—commemorating the Yankees’ championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000—during his tenure as New York City mayor. In a recent bankruptcy filing, Giuliani listed three of the rings as part of his personal property, included in a jewelry collection valued at around $30,000, which also features luxury watches.

Last month, the former Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, won their defamation lawsuit against Giuliani and sought to get his apartment in Manhattan and property such as New York Yankees’ memorabilia in return. The defamation lawsuit stemmed from false claims Giuliani made about the 2020 presidential election.

However, in newly filed court documents, Andrew Giuliani requested permission to intervene in the case to assert his ownership of the rings. A judge granted his request on Wednesday.

Rudy Giuliani is appealing the $148 million defamation judgment in a federal appeals court, arguing that his comments about election workers Freeman and Moss were protected by free speech and that they failed to prove he acted with “actual malice,” a key standard in defamation cases. He has also asked the New York judge to hold off on awarding his property to the two women until after the appeal is resolved.

Lawyers representing Rudy Giuliani, as well as Freeman and Moss, declined to comment to The Associated Press (AP) on Andrew Giuliani’s claim to the World Series rings on Wednesday. Andrew Giuliani’s attorney also did not immediately respond to the AP’s request for comment.

In court filings, Andrew Giuliani stated that his father gave him the World Series rings in May 2018, following Rudy Giuliani’s 74th birthday celebration in New York.

“He said to me, in substance and in part, ‘I told you when I got these that they would be yours someday, and I want to give them to you now,'” the filings said. “As a child and young adult, I had spent many nights with my father watching Yankees games and bonding over our love for the team, and I was excited about receiving the rings.”

Rudy Giuliani’s assets, including a Palm Beach condo, autographed photos of Reggie Jackson and Yankee Stadium, and a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt, are estimated to exceed $10 million in value if sold to satisfy the judgment owed to Freeman and Moss.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.