Giuliani defamation trial: 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.


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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.


Judge blasts Giuliani for 'additional defamatory' remarks

Judge Beryl Howell admonished Rudy 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 false statements about the two women.

Giuliani told Moran as he departed the courthouse Monday that "everything I said about them is true" and that the women "were engaged in changing votes."

Those comments "could support another defamation claim," Howell told Giuliani's attorney, Joseph Sibley, as court resumed Tuesday morning. "How do you reconcile those comments?"

"I wasn't there," Sibley said. "I don't know how that's reconcilable."

When Howell asked if Giuliani denied making those comments, Giuliani rose his voice and said, "Of course I did."

The trial has "taken a toll on him," Sibley said. "He's 80 years old ... I can't control everything he does."

Howell then questioned Giuliani's age, capacity and acuity -- and whether that might be an issue in the case. "Can he follow instructions?" she asked.

"The answer, of course, is yes," Sibley replied, adding again that "sitting through a multi-day trial" has been hard for Giuliani.

The judge appeared visibly frustrated while chastising Giuliani and his attorney over his remarks. Giuliani, reclining in his chair at the defendant's table, shook his head at times.