"I want to own you," Giuliani says to former employee in audio transcripts filed in New York lawsuit
Audio transcripts filed in a New York court as part of a former employee's lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani depict him making sexually vulgar remarks to her as well as expletive-strewn comments on topics ranging from Jewish men to the movie star Matt Damon.
Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City who served as an attorney and adviser for former President Donald Trump, is being sued by Noelle Dunphy, a former employee accusing him of "sexual assault and harassment, wage theft, and other misconduct." She is seeking $10 million in damages. The transcripts of audio recordings were submitted to New York County Supreme Court on Tuesday.
In one exchange with Dunphy, Giuliani said, according to the transcripts: "I want to own you, officially." In another, he said, "I'm gonna make it a little painful."
The transcripts also detail Giuliani allegedly making repeated comments about the size of Dunphy's chest, followed by this exchange:
MR. GIULIANI: These breasts belong to me. Nobody else can get near these, okay? I don't care if they're flirting or they give you business cards. These are mine, you got it?
MS. DUNPHY: Yes.
MR. GIULIANI: Understand? I'm very f****ng possessive. I've gone easy on you.
MS. DUNPHY: I don't know.
MR. GIULIANI: I've been easy on you.
MS. DUNPHY: You're pretty tough on me.
MR. GIULIANI: I've been easy on you. Give them to me.
Giuliani also talked about his "tremendous attraction" to Dunphy, and says: "I'd never think about a girl being smart. If you told me a girl was smart, I would often think she's not attractive," according to the transcripts.
The transcripts also include Giuliani apparently venting about the Jewish holiday of Passover. "They want to go through that freaking Passover all the time," he said. "Get over the Passover. It was like 3,000 years ago. Okay, the Red Sea parted. Big deal. Not the first time that happened."
Elsewhere, according to the transcript, he's recorded as saying: "Jewish men have small [sex organs] because they can't use them after they get married. Whereas the Italian men use them all their lives so they get bigger."
In an exchange with Dunphy about Republican celebrities, Giuliani said, "Ain't too many. Brad — not Brad Pitt. The other guy that looks like him."
When Dunphy brought up Matt Damon, Guiliani replied: "No, Matt Damon is a — Matt Damon is a f**. Matt Damon is also 5'2. Eyes are blue. Coochie-coochie-coochie-coo."
Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Giuliani, disputed Dunphy's allegations in the lawsuit. In a statement Thursday, he said: "This was a consensual relationship. Ms. Dunphy has a documented history of making harassment claims against men for the purpose of making money, which has been reported in-part by the New York Post. Ms. Dunphy's history of this sort of behavior is well documented and available through public records."
"It's disappointing to see some so-called 'journalists' stoop so low with these smears and attacks against a man who has dedicated his life to serving others," Goodman said.
The initial 70-page complaint was filed in May by Dunphy, who was hired by Giuliani in January 2019 to work on the business development side for his firm.
"He made clear that satisfying his sexual demands —which came virtually anytime, anywhere— was an absolute requirement of her employment and of his legal representation," the complaint reads. It also says that he demanded "that she work naked, in a bikini, or in short shorts with an American flag on them that he bought for her."
In a statement at the time, a spokesperson for Giuliani said he "unequivocally denies the allegations raised by Ms. Dunphy."
"Mayor Giuliani's lifetime of public service speaks for itself and he will pursue all available remedies and counterclaims," Goodman said in that statement.
An attorney for Dunphy, Justin Kelton, said in a statement to CBS News that "Mr. Giuliani is not the first powerful man accused of sexual abuse towards subordinates who attempts to smear his accuser in a discredited game of blame the victim."
"He will have to answer to materials and recorded statements that will be presented at trial," Kelton added.
—C. Mandler contributed reporting.
- In:
- Rudy Giuliani
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Assault
S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.
