Giuliani loses defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers

Author: Editors Desk Source: CNN:::

August 30, 2023 at 11:29

Wandrea Shaye Moss, a former Georgia election worker, is comforted by her mother, Ruby Freeman, right, as the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington in June 2022.

The damages could amount to thousands if not millions of dollars.

A federal judge has determined Rudy Giuliani forfeits the defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers against him, a decision that could lead to significant penalties for the former Donald Trump attorney.

Giuliani lost the case because he struggled to maintain access to his electronic records, partly because of the cost, and couldn’t adequately respond to subpoenas from attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss as the case moved forward.

The mother and daughter are asking for unspecified damages after they say they suffered emotional and reputational harm, as well as having their safety put in danger, after Giuliani singled them out when he made false claims of ballot tampering in Georgia after the 2020 election.

A trial to determine the amount of damages for which Giuliani will be held liable will be set for later this year or early 2024, Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court said on Wednesday.

The damages could amount to thousands if not millions of dollars.

Giuliani has already been sanctioned almost $90,000 for Freeman and Moss’ attorneys’ fees in the case, and Howell says the former New York mayor may be saddled with additional similar sanctions.

Giuliani has been struggling financially, buried under 2020 election legal proceedings, a new criminal case against him in Georgia related to efforts to overturn the election and other matters. He has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges in Georgia and has been released from jail on bond.

This story has been updated with additional reporting and details.