Jury orders Giuliani to pay $148 million in defamation case

Rudy Giuliani must pay a total of $148 million (around €135 million) in damages for defaming two former Georgia election workers, by falsely claiming that they helped rig the 2020 US presidential election in the state of Georgia against his client at the time, Donald Trump. 

The jury in federal court in Washington found that Giuliani owed the workers, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, roughly $73 million to compensate them for the reputational and emotional harm they suffered. 

The remainder of the fund was to punish the former New York mayor for his conduct. 

A federal judge determined before the trial that the suspended lawyer Giuliani was liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy. The only question before the jury was what sums would be appropriate as damages.

Giuliani plans appeal, Freeman calls it 'a good day'

Giuliani told reporters after the ruling that he would appeal, and said he believed the "absurdity" of the fine levied would help his chances. 

"It will be reversed so quickly it will make your head spin, and the absurd number that just came in will help that actually," he said of Friday's decision.

Meanwhile, Ruby Freeman welcomed the verdict. 

"Today's a good day. A jury stood witness to what Rudy Giuliani did to me and my daughter and held him accountable," she told reporters, adding, "Others must be held accountable, too." 

'Defenseless' civil servants offered up 'to a virtual mob'

The verdict was reached after three days of emotional testimony, dominated by Moss and Freeman, who are Black, recounting the array of racist and sexist messages they received online after being "identified" by Giuliani. 

"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 poll workers' lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said during his closing argument. "He has no right to offer defenseless civil servants up to a virtual mob in order to overturn an election."

Because of the system used to determine winners of US presidential elections, Trump and Giuliani's allegations of fraud in the vote count often focused on a few key states Trump needed to win to claim outright victory nationwide.

Georgia was one of these, and probably one Republicans particularly hoped to hold given that they have only failed to win the state twice in almost 40 years, including in 2020.

Trump reportedly called a Georgia election official, telling him to "find votes" the then president would have needed to win reelection. President Joe Biden beat Trump in the 2020 election by a margin of 68 electoral votes and received over 7 million more votes than Trump. 

The Georgia case against Giuliani was one of several related to Trump's allegations of election fraud that feature the former lawyer. His role as Trump's lawyer amid the campaign and its aftermath could even lead to Giuliani being permanently disbarred.

msh/sms (AP, Reuters)