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'
Giuliani won't testify, attorney says
In an unexpected twist, Rudy Giuliani will not testify in his defamation trial, an attorney said as court convened this morning.
Giuliani told reporters on Wednesday that he "intends" to testify today in his own defense.
In a preview of what he might have said on the stand, Giuliani claimed he "had nothing to do with any of those" racist voicemails and emails shown in court.
Giuliani disavows racist messages
Leaving court, Rudy Giuliani said he had nothing do to with the racially charged messages to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss that were presented in court.
"I had nothing to do with any of those," Giuliani told reporters.
"My name isn't there. It doesn't refer to me," the former mayor said. "I don't even know who those people are."
Moss, Freeman rest their case
Ruby Freeman stepped down from the witness stand after almost 90 minutes of emotional testimony as the final witness in her and her daughter's case against Rudy Giuliani.
The defense rested its case, and Judge Howell sent jurors home for the day.
Court was subsequently adjourned until tomorrow, when the defense is scheduled to present its case.
Giuliani is expected to take the stand.
Freeman tearfully testifies she left her home due to threats
Wiping away tears, Ruby Freeman described being forced to leave her house for two months -- and ultimately having to move out -- because of the threats she received after she was falsely accused of manipulating ballots.
Freeman said she was advised to leave her home by the FBI. She then stayed in different Airbnbs.
"I couldn't stay at home," Freeman said. "I was just too scared and my neighbors were having to watch out for me."
Freeman sobbed as she recounted how she lost the ability to use her name in her new home. She said she is too scared to introduce herself to her neighbors.
"I have a home but I can't do anything," Freeman said.
Moss says seeing election fraud claims made her 'immediately fearful'
A visibly upset Shaye Moss described what happened on Dec. 4, 2020 -- the day her boss informed her about the deluge of "nasty, hateful, violent" messages directed at her from online users accusing her of election fraud.
Moss said when her supervisor summoned her to his office, she thought she might be in line for a promotion. Colleagues smiled and gave her a thumbs up as she waded through their cubicles, she recalled.
Instead, Moss testified, she was shown social media posts accusing her of manipulating ballots.
"I am shown these videos, these lies, everything that's been going on that I had no clue about," Moss recalled. "I was confused, I was immediately fearful."
After returning to her desk, Moss said she "couldn't concentrate" for the rest of the day.