Rudy Giuliani must pay almost $200m to Georgia election workers in defamation trial

WASHINGTON – Rudy Giuliani must pay more than US$148 million (S$197 million) in damages to two former Georgia election workers he defamed through false accusations that they helped to rig the 2020 election against Donald Trump, a jury decided on Dec 15.

The jury in federal court in Washington, DC, found that Giuliani owes the workers, Ms Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ms Ruby Freeman, roughly US$73 million to compensate them for the reputational and emotional harm they suffered, and US$75 million to punish the former Trump lawyer and one-time New York mayor for his conduct.

A federal judge determined before the trial that Giuliani was liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy. The only question before the jury was how much in damages to impose on Giuliani, who helped former Republican president Trump advance his false claims of a stolen 2020 election.

The verdict was reached after an emotional three days of testimony in which Ms Moss and Ms Freeman, who are black, recounted the deluge of racist and sexist messages – including threats of lynching – they received after Trump and his allies spread false claims that they were engaged in voter fraud.

“Mr Giuliani thought he could get away with making Ruby and Shaye the face of election fraud because he thought they were ordinary and expendable,” the workers’ lawyer, Mr Michael Gottlieb, said during his closing argument.

“He has no right to offer defenceless civil servants up to a virtual mob in order to overturn an election.”

The plaintiffs requested at least US$48 million on the defamation claim and an unspecified sum for emotional distress and punitive damages.

Mr Joseph Sibley, a lawyer for Giuliani, acknowledged that his client had caused harm, but said the penalty the plaintiffs sought would be “catastrophic” for his client. He told the jury Giuliani was a “good man”, referencing his role as mayor of New York following the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“Rudy Giuliani shouldn’t be defined by what’s happened in recent times,” Mr Sibley said during his closing argument.

Giuliani, who publicly claimed he would testify during the trial, ultimately opted not to take the witness stand.

He made repeated false claims that a surveillance video showed Ms Moss and Ms Freeman concealing and counting “suitcases” filled with illegal ballots at a basketball arena in Atlanta that was used to process votes during the 2020 election.

Trump also singled out Ms Freeman by name in a highly publicised January 2021 phone call, during which he pressured Georgia’s top election officer, Mr Brad Raffensperger, to “find” votes to overturn his narrow defeat in the state.

A state investigation found that the women were legally and properly processing ballots. Lawyers for the two women alleged that the claims were part of a conspiracy that involved Trump, his legal team and a right-wing media outlet to help Trump sow doubt about the election and reverse his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.

Giuliani has faced a series of civil and criminal woes – and mounting legal fees – since helping to spearhead Trump’s efforts to overturn the election.

The former mayor has been criminally charged in the Georgia racketeering case against Trump and several of his allies, in part for targeting Ms Moss and Ms Freeman. He has pleaded not guilty. REUTERS