On Friday, a jury ordered former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million to two former Georgia election workers for baselessly claiming they committed fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Rudy Giuliani was hit with $148 million verdict for defaming two Georgia election workers after the 2020 presidential race. pic.twitter.com/AmhzyA5xbN
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 15, 2023
Giuliani was found liable in the case months ago, and the jury only convened to decide how much the former federal prosecutor must pay in damages.
From Fox News:
The former New York City mayor, and Donald Trump ally and former personal lawyer, was on trial for the defamation of two Georgia election workers this week at a federal court in Washington, D.C.
Giuliani had accused Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, of fraud while advancing former President Trump’s unproven claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell had already awarded default judgment to Freeman and Moss in August.
Giuliani was also ordered to pay legal fees for Moss and Freeman, amounting to around $270,000.
Speaking outside the courthouse Friday, Moss said “the past few years has been devastating.”
“Our greatest wish is that no one — no election worker, or voter, or school board member, or anyone else — ever experiences anything like what we went through.”
— Former election worker Wandrea “Shaye” Moss after jury orders Rudy Giuliani to pay $148M for defaming her & her mom pic.twitter.com/VavIcIVOur
— The Recount (@therecount) December 15, 2023
“The flame that Giuliani lit with those lies and passed to so many others to keep that flame blazing changed every aspect of our lives, our home family, our work, our sense of safety and mental health,” Moss said. “And we’re still working to rebuild as we move forward and continue to seek justice.”
“Our greatest wish is that no one, no election worker or voter or school board member or anyone else ever experiences anything like what we went through,” she added.
Giuliani said Friday he’d appeal the ruling.
The absurdity of the amount is indicative of the absurdity and unfairness of the entire proceeding.
It bore no resemblance to a trial in a country with the rule of law. I wasn't able to offer any evidence in my defense. We'll have more to say and look forward to the appeal.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) December 15, 2023
“The absurdity of the number merely underscores the absurdity of the entire proceeding, where I’ve not been allowed to offer one single piece of evidence in defense, of which I have a lot,” he said. “So I am quite confident when this case gets before a fair tribunal, it will be reversed so quickly, it’ll make your head spin and the absurd number that just came in will help that, actually.”
The purpose of this week’s trial was to determine how much money Giuliani would have to pay the women in damages.