Former New York City mayor and lawyer for former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, has been found liable for defaming two Georgia election workers, Wandrea (Shaye) Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman. The ruling comes as a result of Giuliani's failure to provide electronic records requested by the two women in the case.
Judge Beryl Howell issued the order against Giuliani, stating that he will have to pay damages for spreading false claims of vote-rigging against Moss and Freeman. Giuliani had previously admitted that his statements were false and defamatory, but argued that he was protected by the First Amendment.
Giuliani will now face a civil trial to determine the amount he will have to pay. He has already been ordered to pay over $130,000 in sanctions for failing to hand over documents to the court in this case.
Giuliani's political adviser, Ted Goodman, released a statement criticizing the judge's ruling, calling it an example of the "weaponization" of the justice system.
This ruling against Giuliani comes as he faces criminal charges in Georgia for his attempts to overturn the victory of President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The charges against Giuliani include violation of the Georgia racketeering act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, false statements and writings, and conspiracy.
Moss had worked for the Fulton County elections department since 2012 and Freeman was a temporary election worker. Both women have faced threats and harassment as a result of the false claims made against them.
Giuliani's false claims about Moss and Freeman were based on selective video footage from Atlanta's State Farm Arena, which has been debunked by Georgia officials.
This ruling against Giuliani is a significant development in the legal challenges he faces for his role in spreading false claims about the 2020 election. He is scheduled to be arraigned on September 6, along with Trump and several other defendants in the Georgia case.