The first oral arguments in the civil suit, brought by accuser Noelle Dunphy, unfolded on Wednesday after a series of delays in the case that was first filed in early Dunphy, who claims to be his former employee, is accusing Giuliani of wide-ranging misconduct, including sexual harassment, assault, battery and a hostile work environment.
The hearing was streamed online and journalists were allowed to watch. The remote hearing was plagued by technical difficulties, high-pitched acoustic feedback and confusion. At one point, Lev Parnas , a Ukrainian businessman and former Giuliani associate-turned-critic, tried to be admitted to the virtual meeting โ a move that the ex-mayor vocally objected to. The judge asked whether Giuliani โ who appeared in black suit and a yellow and purple striped tie โ was representing himself in the case or whether Katz was.
I am confused. Giuliani said he understood and that he preferred Katz represent him. He then requested a chance to be heard. The judge allowed Giuliani to make his legal arguments, with a caveat. The former Trump lawyer made a series of salacious attacks against Dunphy, who was also on the call, wearing a white blazer, mint green shirt and round glasses. Moyne directed his staff to mute Giuliani. Even with his sound turned off, Giuliani kept talking. The judge told Giuliani that he could raise these arguments in a formal response: either an answer to the complaint or a motion to dismiss.
Because [an argument] was brought up, I thought I had a right to respond to it. The judge rejected both motions for sanctions. What we need now is a formal response to the complaint. The former mayor shook his head with his head in his hands while the judge summarized the allegations. Then there was the Borat reference. The judge ultimately sided with Katz, and struck the photo and the reference to the comedy movie.
At one point during the hearing, Giuliani appeared to be munching on cookies before sipping on a white mug with a tiny red heart. At another, he seemed to be fiddling with his iPad while the hearing was ongoing. At others, he appeared to be talking to a brunette woman, whose manicured nails sometimes tapped his mute button on his behalf.
