Rudy Giuliani just failed at an attempt to dismiss the multi-million dollar penalty he must pay two former Georgia poll workers for defaming them, but he still plans to continue his fight against the judgment.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell rejected Giuliani’s motion to dismiss a verdict that ordered the former New York mayor to pay $148 million in damages to Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.
“Giuliani’s renewed motion urging this Court to reverse its prior findings and rulings and to override the jury’s considered verdict on the basis of five threadbare arguments falls well short of persuading that ‘the evidence and all reasonable inferences that can be drawn therefrom are so one-sided that reasonable men and women could not have reached a verdict in [plaintiffs’] favor,'” Howell said in her ruling Monday.
Giuliani launched a widespread smear campaign against Freeman and Moss in which he accused them of stealing votes in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election. The mother-daughter duo faced numerous attacks from Trump supporters who sent them racist, death threats as the false rumors spread.
The pair subsequently sued Giuliani for defamation. After he was found liable, a jury awarded them more than three times the amount they requested in damages in December.
Giuliani filed for bankruptcy shortly after the verdict was delivered. His bankruptcy judge allowed him to appeal the verdict in February so long as he used pre-approved donors to pay any further legal expenses. The bankruptcy absolves him of the requirement to post a bond in the amount of the judgment to appeal.
A court filing from last month revealed that his bankruptcy lawyers are being paid by two third-party, legal defense funds. His attorneys claim Giuliani hasn’t contributed to either fund. One of them received hundreds of donations from his supporters.
Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Giuliani, sent a statement to The Hill saying Giuliani’s team was not surprised the judge dismissed the motion to dismiss.
“This is the expected outcome from a judge who put partisan politics ahead of justice,” Goodman said. “This is far from over. We look forward to our appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court, where, if given a fair hearing that isn’t politically motivated, there’s no question the absurd amount of awarded damages will be reversed.”
In his appeal to reverse the judgment, Giuliani claimed Freeman and Moss never substantially proved they suffered emotional harm and distress from his election fraud claims.
After Giuliani’s defamation trial came to a close, Freeman and Moss filed another request to prohibit him from ever speaking publicly about them again.
Giuliani is still awaiting his criminal trial alongside former president Donald Trump and several others who are accused of conspiring to overthrow the 2020 election in Georgia.
