Rudy Giuliani spent years fighting to keep a jury from hearing the explosive accusations that shattered what remained of his public reputation.

That fight has now suffered a potentially devastating blow.

A New York judge has ordered the former mayor and longtime Donald Trump ally to prepare for trial in a $10 million lawsuit brought by Noelle Dunphy, a woman who alleges Giuliani sexually harassed and abused her while she worked for him—and who claims she possesses recordings of many of his demands.

Giuliani denies the allegations. His attorneys have argued that Dunphy never worked for him and that the pair instead had a consensual romantic relationship lasting several months.

The case has not been decided, and Dunphy’s claims remain allegations unless proven in court. But Manhattan Judge Nicholas Moyne has now cleared the way for the confrontation to move closer to a jury.

Under an order filed this week in New York Supreme Court, Giuliani must sit for a deposition before the end of January 2027. The parties were also instructed to prepare for a trial by the end of March.

“This has been going on a long time,” Dunphy’s attorney, Bill Robedee, told Raw Story. “The wrongs that were done to Noelle were done nearly a decade ago and it’s time to get her the resolution that she deserves.”

Robedee took over the case in May and is known for representing Colin Warner, who spent 21 years imprisoned for a murder he did not commit. The successful campaign to free Warner became the basis of the 2017 film “Crown Heights.”

Now Robedee is preparing to confront one of America’s most recognizable—and fallen—political figures.

Dunphy claims Giuliani hired her between 2019 and 2021 to perform business-development and other professional work. According to her lawsuit, he subjected her to alcohol- and Viagra-fueled sexual harassment, demanded sex and ultimately fired her while allegedly owing her $2 million in unpaid compensation.

The complaint also accuses Giuliani of threatening retaliation if she disclosed what had allegedly happened. Dunphy claims he invoked private investigators and his political connections to Trump while warning her to remain silent.

Giuliani has disputed her account.

His legal team has repeatedly attempted to have the case dismissed, insisting that Dunphy was not an employee. Judge Moyne refused to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this year, and the latest order further weakens Giuliani’s attempt to prevent the allegations from reaching trial.

Giuliani’s lawyers have also argued that he is too sick to undergo the demands of litigation and too financially depleted to pay damages if Dunphy prevails.

The 82-year-old was hospitalized in May with severe pneumonia. He was placed in a medically induced coma and required a ventilator, later describing the ordeal as a near-death spiritual experience.

But Dunphy’s attorney is questioning whether Giuliani’s health prevents him from participating in the case, pointing to a string of international appearances.

Robedee said Giuliani had traveled to address Italy’s parliament, attended a conference at Castel Gandolfo, appeared in a photograph with Pope Leo and visited Bulgaria. He also referenced a birthday celebration held at the U.S. Embassy in Greece.

“The challenge with Mr. Giuliani,” Robedee said, is that he appears seriously ill while simultaneously traveling around the world.

The attorney also questioned how Giuliani’s international travel was being financed at a time when the former mayor has portrayed himself as financially devastated.

Giuliani’s lawyer, Adam Katz, did not respond to Raw Story’s requests for comment.

The financial questions follow years of punishing legal consequences.

In 2023, a jury ordered Giuliani to pay approximately $148 million to Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss after finding him liable for defaming them with false allegations related to the 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani later sought bankruptcy protection, but a federal judge dismissed the case. He has also been disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C., over his false claims about Trump’s election defeat.

The contrast with Giuliani’s earlier life is almost cinematic.

He was once a celebrated federal prosecutor known for pursuing organized crime. After the Sept. 11 attacks, his leadership made him an international symbol of New York’s resilience and earned him the title “America’s Mayor.”

Robedee remembered the reverence Giuliani once inspired, particularly among Italian-American lawyers.

“He was the Italian-American lawyer that took on the mafia,” he said. “Whether you loved him or hated him, you admired him.”

That history makes the approaching trial even more extraordinary. A man once praised for wielding the law against powerful defendants is now being ordered to submit to questioning in a case alleging deeply personal misconduct and abuse of power.

Giuliani will have the opportunity to deny the allegations under oath, challenge Dunphy’s evidence and present his own account. Dunphy, meanwhile, will have to prove her claims through admissible evidence before a jury.

But after three years of procedural warfare, the case has reached a decisive new stage.

The judge has set the deadlines. A deposition is approaching. A potential jury trial now looms.

And if the recordings Dunphy claims to possess are admitted into evidence, Giuliani may soon face something he has fought desperately to avoid: a courtroom listening to the private words at the center of his most sordid legal battle.