Rudy Giuliani Satisfies Judgment in Defamation Case Brought by Former Georgia Election Workers

Judgment Satisfied after Settlement Agreement

Rudy Giuliani has “fully satisfied” a judgment against him after defaming two former Georgia election workers by falsely accusing them of election fraud in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential contest, according to a federal court filing Monday.

Background of the Case

The judgment was satisfied on Friday, the filing said, and comes after Giuliani reached a settlement agreement with Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, in January. A jury had awarded the former election workers $148 million in damages after a four-day trial in December 2023. The award was subsequently reduced to $146 million by a judge.

Judge’s Findings

Monday’s court filing listed interest and attorneys’ fees on top of that figure. A federal judge found that Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and a former federal prosecutor, had failed to comply with orders surrounding the 2023 judgment. In November of last year, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman called Giuliani’s explanation for failing to turn over valuables “farcical.” In January, Liman found Giuliani in contempt of court for failing to comply with orders to turn over information about his assets.

Defamatory Statements

Giuliani baselessly accused the women, who were election workers in Fulton County, of fraud following the November 2020 presidential election that Trump lost. Freeman and Moss sued him for defamation, and he conceded that he made false statements about them. A federal judge in August 2023 ruled that Giuliani had defamed them.

Impact on the Women

The women said the falsehoods resulted in death threats and that they were hounded by Trump supporters online. “There is nowhere I feel safe. Nowhere,” Freeman said in taped testimony that was played to a congressional committee in June 2022. Moss told lawmakers in person that day that the harassment made her reluctant to leave her home. “I second guess everything that I do. It’s affected my life in a — in a major way. In every way. All because of lies. For me doing my job, same thing I’ve been doing forever,” she told Congress.

Conclusion

The settlement agreement was reached between Giuliani and the women in January. “The past four years have been a living nightmare,” Freeman and Moss said at that time. “We have fought to clear our names, restore our reputations, and prove that we did nothing wrong,” they said in a statement then.

FAQs

* Who were the defendants in the case?
+ Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss
* What was the outcome of the case?
+ Giuliani reached a settlement agreement with the women, satisfying the judgment against him
* What were the damages awarded to the women?
+ Initially $148 million, subsequently reduced to $146 million
* What were the consequences for Giuliani?
+ He was found in contempt of court and failed to comply with orders surrounding the 2023 judgment