Federal judge finds Rudy Giuliani liable for defaming 2 Georgia election workers – JURIST

A federal court in Washington DC found former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani guilty on Wednesday of defaming Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss during the 2020 US presidential election. Freeman and Moss alleged that after Georgia election results were released, confirming current President Joe Biden obtained a majority of the votes in the state, Giuliani engaged in a “media offensive” as a member of former President Donald Trump’s re-election team.

US District Judge Beryl Howell ordered that a judgment be entered against Giuliani for “defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, and punitive damage claims.” The judge issued the decision in a default judgment, rather than having the issue go to a jury because Giuliani’s legal team repeatedly failed to turn over evidence requested by the plaintiffs in the case—Freeman and Moss. That said, a jury will still determine the amount of damages to be awarded to Freeman and Moss based on the defamation claims.

As a member of Trump’s inner circle, Giuliani has been indicted on a number of criminal charges related to his conduct during the 2020 US presidential election. In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted Giuliani with 13 criminal counts for knowingly pushing a false narrative of voter fraud in the state. The indictment describes how Giuliani and the rest of Trump’s team—including the former president himself—conspired to interfere in Georgia’s election process.

In December of 2020 Giuliani constructed what he referred to as a “Strategic Communications Plan” to push Trump’s election interference narrative and convince lawmakers to certify the election of Donald Trump. The plan identified Freeman as an election worker by name. Freeman was falsely accused in the plan of “ballot stuffing” and having a criminal record for voter fraud. Giuliani repeated these claims and Freeman’s name dozens of times in subsequent months online and on his podcast.

In response to the Wednesday ruling, Giuliani’s team claimed that Howell’s 57-page opinion on the discovery issues is unusual and suggested a weaponization of the justice system for political motives. Freeman and Moss, who are mother and daughter, welcomed the ruling and said that Giuliani’s defamation turned their lives into a “living nightmare.” Both said they were subjected to online hate because of Giuliani’s actions. They said Wednesday’s ruling served as “yet another neutral finding” that neither Freeman nor Moss did anything wrong.

As a next step, Howell ordered the parties to submit proposed schedules for three dates to hold trials for damages.