Pointing to his history as an “uncooperative litigant” and concerns that he will try to “conceal his assets” during any appeals, a federal judge has ordered that Rudy Giuliani must “immediately” pay $148m to a mother-daughter pair of election workers who sued him for defamation.

Last week, an eight-member jury found Mr Giuliani owes Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss $16.2m and $16.99m respectively in compensatory damages, an additional $20m each for intentional infliction of emotional distress, and a further $75m in punitive damages.

The women then asked the court to dissolve a 30-day pause in the order, fearing that Mr Giuliani “will use whatever time he has to alienate or dissipate what assets are available to satisfy even a small portion” of the judgment awarded to them.