Rudy Giuliani Ordered to Pay Over $148M in Defamation Lawsuit
Former New York City mayor and personal attorney to Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, has been ordered to pay a staggering $148 million to two Georgia election workers he defamed in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The lawsuit stems from Mr. Giuliani’s false statements about the plaintiffs, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, and their work at a ballot-counting center in Georgia.
The verdict was delivered following a four-day trial in a federal courtroom in Washington DC, with an eight-member jury finding Mr. Giuliani liable for defamation claims. They awarded Freeman and Moss $16.2 million and $16.99 million respectively in compensatory damages, an additional $20 million each for intentional infliction of emotional distress, and a further $75 million in punitive damages.
The lawsuit adds to Mr. Giuliani’s already extensive legal battles, including a criminal case in Atlanta involving the same lies. He is charged alongside the former president and more than a dozen other defendants in an alleged attempt to unlawfully overturn the state’s election results.
During the trial, US District Judge Beryl Howell questioned Mr. Giuliani about the inflammatory statements he made about the plaintiffs and their work. The judge had previously found Mr. Giuliani liable for defamation claims in a pretrial judgment earlier this year.
In response to the verdict, Mr. Giuliani told reporters outside the courthouse on Friday, “I don’t regret a damn thing,” and expressed confidence that the case would be reversed before a fair tribunal.
The ruling comes as a blow to Mr. Giuliani, who has previously been reduced to “the Mayor of 9-11” by cast members on Saturday Night Live, and faced ridicule for his descent into election conspiracy theories and loyalty to Donald Trump. This latest legal setback adds to the mounting challenges he faces.