Giuliani defamation trial live updates: Jury awards election workers nearly $150 million
The amount is three times as much as plaintiffs were seeking.
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:
- Jury awards Freeman, Moss $75 million apiece
- Freeman, Moss entitled to $24M each, attorney argues
- Giuliani won't testify, attorney says
- Freeman tearfully testifies she left her home due to threats
- Fixing plaintiffs' reputations will cost up to $47M, says expert
- Moss, through tears, describes life after Giuliani's accusations
- Georgia investigators dispel election fraud claims
- Judge blasts Giuliani for 'additional defamatory' remarks
- Expert describes racist content 'on a level we don't see'
Judge asks Giuliani to explain latest remarks
Lawyers for Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman said they may rest their case today.
The attorneys expect Freeman to take the stand this afternoon following Dr. Ashlee Humphreys, an expert who will testify about the reach of Rudy Giuliani's statements and the reputational impact of those statements on Freeman and Moss.
Before the jury was seated, Giuliani was asked by Judge Beryl Howell to explain remarks he made after court and online Tuesday night, after she admonished him earlier Tuesday about comments he made on Monday.
"I did," Giuliani said about making Tuesday's remarks, "but I don't think they violated the order. If I did, it was accidental."
"I will not do it in the future," he said.
In a video streamed Tuesday night on X, formerly Twitter, Giuliani said, "They're seeking $40 million. Oh yeah. They're seeking $40 million for the damage that I allegedly did to them. One of them did testify that she has no money, they do have an endless number of lawyers in the courtroom, however, for people that don't have any money."
Plaintiffs to call expert on reputation repair
Day 3 of the trial is scheduled to begin with a witness deposition video, finishing up the series of deposition videos that was played in court yesterday.
Plaintiffs' attorney are then expected to call an expert witness to the stand to testify about the impact of Giuliani's statements.
The testimony is expected to address the estimated cost to repair the damage done to Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman's reputations.
Giuliani refrains from commenting on case
After court was adjourned for the day, Rudy Giuliani told reporters outside court that he would not comment on the case after the judge slammed the remarks he made after court Monday.
"I'm not going to discuss the case anymore because it seemed to get the judge annoyed," he told reporters.
Court will resume Wednesday morning.
Court adjourns for the day
Following Shaye Moss' testimony and the playing of several video depositions, Day 2 of the trial adjourned for the day.
When court resumes on Wednesday, Michael Gottlieb, an attorney for Freeman and Moss, said he plans to show one final deposition video of poll observer Pamela Michelle Branton.
Plaintiffs' attorneys also plan to call an expert witness to testify about the impacts of Giuliani's false accusations, according to court papers filed in the case.
Freeman gives judge infamous ginger mint at heart of allegations
When Rudy Giuliani accused Ruby Freeman of "surreptitiously" passing her daughter a USB drive while the two were counting ballots on Election Day at State Farm Arena -- a central tenet of his false claims about the two women -- what he actually saw, according to Freeman, was something far less sinister: a ginger mint.
As Freeman took the stand, her attorney entered a ginger mint into evidence -- and Freeman passed the judge a ginger mint, too.
"I'm going to use this," Judge Beryl Howell said.
Freeman explained that she always has the candies with her. She passes them out to clients of her clothing boutique and those in need.
"I felt that it was healthy," she testified.
Freeman, who always went by "Lady Ruby," said she can no longer use her nickname publicly or in business.
"I can't use my name anymore, so I'm not Lady Ruby," she said as her voice cracked. "Sometimes I don't know who I am."