Opening statements in a trial to determine how much Rudy Giuliani must pay two former Georgia election workers began on Monday. This follows his conviction for defaming them with false fraud charges in the 2020 election.
Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, filed a lawsuit against Giuliani, asserting that the false claims disrupted their lives. In the trial, they found the former New York City mayor guilty of defaming the two women.
Giuliani falsely asserted that they were passing around USB drives like illegal substances. The reality, however, was that they were simply exchanging a ginger mint.
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Freeman and Moss received an “overwhelming” amount of “vile, racist, hateful comments,” as stated by their attorney, Michael Gottlieb. He informed jurors that Giuliani and his co-conspirators “fueled” these comments.
Additionally, their names have become linked to crime and fraud for many Americans, Gottlieb mentioned. Giuliani’s attorney, Joseph Sibley, assured jurors that Freeman and Moss were harmed and acknowledged they were “good people.”
However, he emphasized that the “punishment must match the crime.”
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Sibley argued that Giuliani never endorsed racism or violence. He asserted that the millions of dollars Freeman and Moss are seeking would be the “civil equivalent of the death penalty.” “It would be the end of Mr. Giuliani,” Sibley added.
However, in comments outside the courthouse on Monday, Giuliani told reporters he did not regret his lies. He claimed that he “told the truth” about Freeman and Moss.
“When I testify, you’ll get the whole story, and it will be definitively clear what I said was true,” he said. The judge found Giuliani liable earlier this year after repeatedly snubbing court orders to turn over evidence in the case to the pair.
“Just as taking shortcuts to win an election carries risks — even potential criminal liability — bypassing the discovery process carries serious sanctions,” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled in August.
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Freeman and Moss are expected to testify at the trial. Their lawyers will discuss the “threats, harassment, and harm” they experienced as a result of the false claims against them.
In a court filing, their lawyers stated that the pair seeks “a sum ranging from $15.5 million to $43 million, inclusive of special damages.” “The only remaining issue in this trial is for a jury to determine the amount Defendant Giuliani owes to Plaintiffs for the damage his conduct caused,” the lawyers wrote.
Sibley also informed jurors that Giuliani will testify at the trial. The proceedings had a rough start last week after Giuliani missed a pretrial hearing he was supposed to attend. Furthermore, Giuliani conceded in a court filing in July that he had made “false” statements about Freeman and Moss.
Last year, in emotional testimony, Freeman and Moss told the House January 6 committee about the relentless targeting and harassment they faced. This followed baseless claims by Giuliani, then-President Donald Trump, and conspiracy theorists that alleged they committed fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
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