Giuliani files for bankruptcy protection

Rudolph W. Giuliani filed for bankruptcy Thursday, a day after a federal judge ordered him to pay the $148 million in damages he owes to two former election workers in Georgia for spreading lies that they tried to steal the 2020 election from Donald J. Trump.

According to the filing, Mr. Giuliani owes millions of dollars in legal fees and unpaid state and federal income taxes.

On Wednesday, the judge overseeing the election workers case, Beryl A. Howell, ordered Mr. Giuliani to immediately start paying the two women, citing concerns that he could “hide his assets” if he were allowed to wait the usual 30 days.

“The filing should not come as a surprise to anyone,” Mr. Giuliani’s political adviser, Ted Goodman, said in a statement. “No one could reasonably have believed that Mayor Rudy Giuliani could pay such a large penalty. Chapter 11 will give Mayor Giuliani the opportunity and time to appeal while providing transparency about his finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court to ensure that all creditors are treated equally and fairly throughout the process.”