In a recent legal development, a federal judge has accelerated the payment process for a $148 million judgment against Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City. The decision comes in favor of two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss, who had sued Giuliani for defamation.
The mother-daughter duo accused Giuliani of falsely alleging their involvement in voter fraud during the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. Last week, a jury ruled in their favor, ordering Giuliani to compensate them for the defamation.
Freeman and Moss, concerned about Giuliani potentially dissipating his assets, requested immediate enforcement of the judgment. Judge Beryl Howell, acknowledging their apprehensions, described Giuliani as an “unwilling and uncooperative litigant” and granted their request.
The ruling on Friday included $75 million in punitive damages and an additional $40 million for emotional distress, divided equally between Freeman and Moss. Despite the verdict, Giuliani expressed his intent to appeal and his disbelief at the size of the award, insisting he lacks the means to pay even the initially sought $43 million.
Giuliani’s lawyer, Joe Sibley, emphasized the severe implications of this ruling on Giuliani, likening it to a “civil death penalty.”
The lawsuit, initiated in 2021, stemmed from Giuliani’s claims that implicated Freeman and Moss in election fraud, leading to threats and racist abuse against them. Giuliani was declared liable by default in August for refusing to disclose crucial evidence, including private communications and financial records.
During her testimony to the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot, Moss clarified a misrepresented incident involving a USB drive, which she claimed was simply her handing her mother a mint. Georgia’s state election board later dismissed the fraud claims against them as baseless.
In a further move to protect their reputations, Freeman and Moss have filed another lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Giuliani from publicly discussing them, as he reportedly continues to propagate the same defamatory statements.
Giuliani’s legal team has been contacted for comments on this latest ruling, but there has been no response at the time of this report. The unfolding of these legal actions underscores the ongoing repercussions of the 2020 election fraud claims and their impact on individuals involved in the electoral process.