Jurors sat on Thursday, December 14, to deliberate on how much Rudy Giuliani must pay two former Georgia election workers. The former New York Mayor allegedly spread lies about the workers during the 2020 election. Consequently, they sued him for defamation over lies that upended their lives with racist threats and harassment.
The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman. The two tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans.
In addition, they alleged that Giuliani tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. They added that Giuliani accused them of ballot fraud after Democrat Joe Biden won the November 2020 election.
Consequently, Moss and her mother seek tens of millions of dollars in damages over Giuliani’s false claims. The potential hefty damages come when Giuliani is gearing up to defend himself against criminal charges from his legal representation of Trump.
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Hence, Giuliani’s lawyer told jurors the damages the women were seeking “would be the end of Mr. Giuliani.” In his closing argument, an attorney for Moss and Freeman highlighted Giuliani has not stopped asserting his claims. He said Giuliani kept repeating the false conspiracy theory asserting that the workers meddled in the 2020 presidential election.
In addition, Attorney Michael Gottlieb played a video of Giuliani outside the courthouse. The former mayor appeared in the video, repeating the false claims about Moss and Freeman. “Mr. Giuliani has repeatedly shown he will not take our client’s names out of his mouth,” Gottlieb said.
“Facts will not stop him. He says he isn’t sorry, and he’s telegraphing he will do this again. Believe him.” On the other hand, Giuliani’s attorney acknowledged that his client was wrong.
However, the attorney insisted that he was not entirely responsible for the threat the women faced. Also, he pinned the blame on a right-wing website that published the surveillance video of the women counting ballots.
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Also, Gottlieb described Freeman and Moss as “heroes.” He added that “after everything they went through, they stood up and said, ‘no more.'” He also read from a chapter in Giuliani’s book on leadership where the former mayor said his father told him never to be a bully. Gottlieb said: “If only Mr. Giuliani had listened.”
In addition, Moss and Freeman’s lawyers are asking for at least $24 million for each woman in defamation damages alone. They’re also seeking compensation for their emotional harm and punitive damages.
Also, Gottlieb asked the jury to send a message to other influential people with the amount they award. “Facts matter. Truth is truth, and we will hold you accountable,” he said. On the other hand, Giuliani’s lawyer said the award should be less.
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He described the damages the women are seeking as the “civil equivalent of the death penalty.” In addition, Attorney Joseph Sibley told jurors they should compensate the women for the damages. However, he urged jurors to “remember this is a great man.”
Although the jury left without announcing a decision that day, they resumed deliberations at Washington’s federal courthouse the next day. The jury awarded $148 million in damages to Moss and her mother on Friday.
There was an audible gasp in the courtroom when the jury foreperson read aloud the damages awarded. They awarded $75 million in punitive damages to the women. In addition, they awarded Moss and Freeman another roughly $36 million in other damages.
This judgment adds to the growing financial and legal peril for Giuliani, who is now facing several criminal charges.
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