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.
Top headlines:
- Jury awards Freeman, Moss $75 million apiece
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- 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'
Jury instructed on Giuliani's defamatory comments
Judge Beryl Howell, following a break, delivered a lengthy statement to jurors about details of the case -- including her determination that Rudy Giuliani has already been found liable for his defamatory comments.
Howell emphasized that the panel must assume that Giuliani failed to cooperate with his discovery requirements in the case in an effort to "artificially deflate" his net worth, and that jurors must understand that Giuliani benefitted financially from his defamatory comments about Freeman and Moss.
"Your job, ladies and gentlemen, is to determine the facts," Howell said.
Howell reminded jurors that their sole responsibility is to determine the damages associated with Giuliani's comments.
As Howell ticked through jury instructions, Giuliani intermittently shook his head and exchanged glances with his attorney.
Jury is seated, opening statements expected this afternoon
The parties have selected a jury of eight D.C. residents, and attorneys for both sides are expected to present their opening statements this afternoon.
Giuliani has said that, while he "does not contest the factual allegations" made by Freeman and Moss regarding his statements, the statements themselves were constitutionally protected.
Attorneys for Freeman and Moss will attempt to articulate why their clients deserve monetary compensation for the statements Giuliani made about them, including what they say is his willful infliction of emotional distress and reputational harm.
Judge Howell swore in the jury and excused the remainder of the prospective jurors before breaking court for lunch.
Judge asks juror prospects about MAGA, QAnon slogans
Prospective jurors are commonly asked to divulge any affiliations with parties in the case, or preconceived views about them. But in this case -- a heavily politicized matter involving election lies -- Judge Howell's questioning has veered into some of the cryptic slogans of the far-right movement.
Howell is asking prospective jurors whether they had ever used the expression "Let's Go Brandon" -- a common refrain among President Joe Biden's detractors -- or the hashtag "WWG1WGA," a motto associated with the QAnon movement.
She is also asking jurors whether they follow Giuliani's social media channels.
The prospective jurors reflect the unique makeup of nation’s capitol. Among those who have been questioned: a Defense Department official, a U.S. Forest Service official, a Defense Intelligence Agency official, and a woman who had worked for the Girl Scouts.
Giuliani faces accusers for 1st time
When Rudy Giuliani entered the courtroom some 20 minutes late due to delays with the courthouse security line, it was the first time he shared a room with Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
Freeman and Moss kept their backs turned away from Giuliani as he entered the courtroom. Moss appeared to swivel her chair slightly to avoid facing him directly.
Giuliani took a seat at the defendant's table alongside his attorney, Joseph Sibley.
While waiting for Giuliani, Sibley had asked Judge Howell's permission for Giuliani to bypass the security line moving forward. She said she would discuss it with court personnel, but laid the blame at Giuliani's feet for his arriving "tardily."
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.