NEW YORK (AP) — A defiant Rudy Giuliani was ordered on Thursday to quickly hand over prized possessions, including a car and a watch, given by his grandfather as part of a $148 million defamation judgment in favor of two Georgia election workers whom he defamed.

After the hearing in federal court in Manhattan, the former New York City mayor said he was the victim of a “political vendetta” and was “pretty sure” the ruling could be overturned.

“This is a case of political persecution,” he told reporters, citing the extent of what he described as a punitive judgment. “There is not a person (who) does not know that judgment is ridiculous.”

Judge Lewis J. Liman orderly former presidential candidate to appear in court after lawyers for the two former Georgia election workers who were awarded the massive judgment visited Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment last week, only to find that he had cleaning weeks earlier.

Attorneys for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, say Giuliani largely avoided turning over assets by the Oct. 29 deadline, allowing the once-and-to-be’s longtime ally. President Donald Trump to hang on to many of his most prized possessions.

Possessions include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.

During Thursday’s hearing, Giuliani attorney Kenneth Caruso said he believed the plaintiffs were being “vindictive” in demanding that the items be turned over included a watch that belonged to Giuliani’s grandfather.

That comment drew jeers and rebukes from Liman, who said individuals are forced to give up family inheritances all the time to meet their debts.

“He has to pay the debt. It does not matter that it is in the form of a watch or a watch that someone is passing on,” the judge said.

Caruso also claimed the car was worth less than $4,000, an amount that could exempt her from the turnover order. But the judge said he had already ordered the car to be turned over.

“Your honor has great discretion to change an order,” Caruso said.

When he arrived at the courthouse, Giuliani told reporters that he had not disobeyed court orders.

“Every piece of property they want is available, if they have the right to it,” he said. “Now the law says they are not entitled to many of them. For example, they want my grandfather’s watch, which is 150 years old. It’s a bit of a legacy. You usually don’t get them unless you’re involved in political persecution. In fact, having me here today is like political persecution.”

Aaron Nathan, an attorney for the election workers, told Liman that most of the contents of the New York apartment, including art, sports memorabilia and other valuables, were moved about four weeks before the attempt to recover the materials. Some of them were believed to be stored on Long Island in a container. Giuliani’s lawyer said they were unable to access it.

At the hearing, Nathan complained that efforts to obtain assets were met by “delay and then evasion” and that Giuliani only recently disclosed the existence of new bank accounts containing about $40,000 in cash.

Giuliani spoke directly to the judge at one point, saying he had been “treated rudely” by those trying to seize control of his assets.

His lawyers have so far argued unsuccessfully that Giuliani should not be forced to surrender his assets while he appeals the ruling.

Giuliani was found guilty of defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of voter fraud while supporting Trump’s baseless allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 campaign.

The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani accused the pair of sneaking ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.

Asked by a reporter Thursday if he regretted any defamation of women, Giuliani bristled, saying: “First of all, I didn’t defame them. I didn’t defame them.”

Caruso, his lawyer, intervened, saying: “Everything ordered today will be – in my professional opinion – temporary. … We will have that verdict reversed. Everything will come back.”

Giuliani also said he had spoken with Trump since his re-election, prompting a reporter to ask if they had discussed the possibility of him joining the new administration.

“This is a discussion between me and the president-elect. And the truth is, of course, I would if that’s what he wanted. I’m not offering or anything, but I would. You know I’m very dedicated to him,” Giuliani said.

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