Giuliani defamation trial: Jury awards election workers nearly $150 million

The amount is three times as much as plaintiffs were seeking.

ByLucien Bruggeman and Laura Romero
Last Updated: December 15, 2023, 5:00 PM EST

Following a week-long trial, a federal jury has ordered former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to pay nearly $150 million to former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shaye" Moss for defaming them with false accusations that the mother and daughter committed election fraud while the two were counting ballots in Georgia's Fulton County on Election Day in 2020.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in August awarded a default judgment to the two women, leaving the trial to determine the full scope of the damages and penalties. Freeman and Moss were seeking between $15.5 million and an amount in the $40 million range.

Top headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Dec 15, 2023, 4:56 PM EST

Giuliani says he couldn't 'present evidence,' will appeal decision

Speaking to reporters outside court, Rudy Giuliani said he didn't have "an opportunity to present evidence" and that he plans to appeal the decision.

"Obviously we will move for a new trial, we will certainly appeal," Giuliani said.

When asked by reporters why he didn't testify, Giuliani said he believed the judge was threatening him with contempt.

"I didn't testify because the judge made it clear that if I made any mistake or did anything wrong, she was considering contempt," Giuliani said.

"I have no doubt that my comments were made and they were supportable and supportable today. I just did not have an opportunity to present the evidence that we offered," he said.

Judge Beryl Howell on Tuesday admonished Giuliani for making "additional defamatory comments" about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss late Monday when he told ABC News' Terry Moran that he stands by his statements that the two women "were engaged in changing votes."

Those comments "could support another defamation claim," Howell told Giuliani, who subsequently elected not to testify in the case.

-Katherine Faulders

Dec 15, 2023, 4:41 PM EST

Giuliani shows no emotion when award is read

As a juror read that Rudy Giuliani will have to pay nearly $150 million in defamation damages, he showed no emotion.

Giuliani looked at the jurors while the verdict was being read and then turned his attention to his tablet.

On the other side of the courtroom, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss sighed heavily and shared a smile with their attorneys.

Dec 15, 2023, 4:34 PM EST

Award includes emotional distress, punitive damages

The jury awarded Ruby Freeman $16,171,000 and Shaye Moss $16,998,000.

In addition, jurors awarded each of the woman $20 million for emotional distress.

Finally, they awarded them a total of $75 million in punitive damages, for a total award of nearly $150 million.

The amount is approximately three times the $48 million the plaintiffs were seeking.

Dec 15, 2023, 4:23 PM EST

Jury awards Freeman, Moss $75 million apiece

The jury in Rudy Giuliani's defamation case has determined that the former New York City mayor will have pay former election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss approximately $75 million apiece for targeting them with defamatory statements in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

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