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Trump's ex-lawyer Rudy Guiliani is fined $148 million for defamation

2023-12-16 13:45:04Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Trump's ex-lawyer Rudy Guiliani is fined $148 million for defamation
Rudy Giuliani

A jury in Washington DC has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay $148.1 million to two Atlanta election workers after he spread lies about them, one of the most significant rulings to date holding accountable those who tried to subvert the 2020 election.

The ruling follows a four-day trial in which Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, her daughter, gave harrowing details about the harassment and threats they faced after Giuliani falsely accused them of trying to steal the Georgia election. .

Their lawyers asked the jury to award them each at least $24 million in damages. Giuliani's lawyer said earlier this week that awarding the plaintiffs the damages sought would be a "death sentence" and would be "the end of Mr. Giuliani."

The damages included nearly $16.2 million and $17 million in punitive damages for Freeman and Moss respectively. It also included $20 million to each woman for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury also awarded an additional $75 million in punitive damages. Giuliani also owes an additional $275,000 in legal fees, according to The Guardian.

"Today is a good day. A jury witnessed what Rudy Giuliani did to me and my daughter and held him accountable, and for that I am grateful," Freeman said, speaking in court after the verdict. "Today is not the end of the road, we still have work to do. Rudy Giuliani wasn't the only one who spread lies about us, and others must be held accountable as well. But that's tomorrow's work.

"I want people to understand that," she added. "Money will never solve all my problems. I can never go back to the house I call home. I will always have to be careful where I go and who I choose to share my name with. I miss my home, I miss my neighbors and I miss my name.”

Meanwhile, Giuliani doubled down on his false claims about Freeman and Moss, again saying he had proof they were true.

"The absurdity of the number just underscores the absurdity of the entire proceeding where I have not been able to provide evidence in my defense, which I have plenty of," Giuliani said in a brief press release, promising to appeal the outcome. .

"So I'm pretty sure when this case goes before a fair court, it's going to come back so fast it's going to make your head spin, and the absurd number that just came in is going to help that, actually."

He also continued to insist that his claims about the two women were justified. "I have no doubt that my comments were made and were supported and are supported today," he said.

Giuliani vowed to appeal and will probably use any legal maneuver to block the payment.

The case is the latest in a series of cases in which plaintiffs have used defamation law to push back against lies spread about them since the 2020 election.

Voting equipment vendor Dominion settled with Fox for $787 million earlier this year in a defamation case.

Freeman and Moss also have a lawsuit pending against Gateway Pundit, a far-right news outlet. Last year, they also settled with One America News, another far-right outlet. Civil rights groups are turning to defamation law as a new tool to fend off misinformation.

The lies about both women were a cornerstone of Giuliani and Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the Georgia election.

On December 3, 2020, Giuliani tweeted a selectively edited video that he claimed showed Freeman and Moss pulling suitcases full of ballots from under a table after counting had finished for the night. The charge was quickly dropped by Gorgias officials, but Giuliani continued to spread the lie. He also accused them of "going through USB ports like they were bottles of heroin or cocaine" when Freeman was passing Moss a ginger mint.

Almost immediately, Freeman and Moss began receiving death threats via mail, email, social media and voicemail. Many of those racist messages surfaced and were presented in court this week.

Giuliani refused to turn over the documents as part of the case and admitted earlier this year that he made false statements about the women.

Howell found him liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy. The only question for the jury to decide was how much damages Giuliani should pay.

Joseph Sibley, Giuliani's attorney, admitted to jurors in his opening statement that his client had done something wrong by making false statements.


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