A judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, must immediately pay a $148 million judgment to a former investor in a Ukrainian energy venture or an associate of Giuliani’s.
Judge Loren Jingles of the New York Supreme Court ruled on April 14 that Giuliani must pay the judgment to Lev Parnas, who was an associate of Giuliani’s on the Ukraine venture. In her ruling, Jinjles stated that Parnas had proved the damages caused by Giuliani and was entitled to immediate compensation.
Giuliani had argued that he was owed $50 million in legal fees related to the venture, while Parnas said the debt was not owed and should not be paid until the dispute was resolved. The court found that the debt was not owed to Giuliani and dismissed his claims as unfounded.
Giuliani must now pay Parnas the $148 million immediately, or face possible wage garnishment or other enforcement measures.
The ruling is a major setback for Giuliani, who has been in the spotlight in recent weeks for his role in the Ukraine scandal. Giuliani has come under scrutiny for his dealings with Ukrainian officials in an effort to get damaging information on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
