(BBC News) Rudy Giuliani, a longtime associate of former President Donald Trump, has filed for bankruptcy just days after he was ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation case.
He was ordered to pay the sum after a judge found he defamed two Georgia election workers over claims they tampered with votes in 2020.
The filing shows he owes millions of dollars in legal fees and unpaid taxes.
A spokesman said the move should “be a surprise to no one.”
In a statement, the spokesman for Giuliani, Ted Goodman, said “no person could have reasonably believed that [Giuliani] would be able to pay such a high punitive amount.”
He added that Thursday’s bankruptcy filing in New York would give Giuliani the “opportunity and time to pursue an appeal, while providing transparency for his finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court.”
Giuliani, 79, said earlier this year that he was having financial difficulties because of his increasing legal fees and expenses.
