11 months ago
Rudy Giuliani must pay about $148 million in damages to two former Georgia election workers whose lives were upended after the former New York City mayor falsely accused them of manipulating ballots in 2020, a federal jury determined Thursday.
The eight-member panel awarded Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss about $16 million apiece for claims that Giuliani defamed them, as well as $20 million apiece for the emotional distress they experienced after Giuliani’s allegations were followed by a deluge of threats, harassment and professional consequences.
The jury of Washington, D.C. residents also determined that Giuliani must pay $75 million in “punitive” damages, a penalty intended to deter him and others from engaging in similar smear campaigns in the future.
The verdict came after about 10 hours of deliberations and an unusual four-day trial in which the jury’s only task was to make damage awards, since U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell already ruled Giuliani liable due to his failure to comply with her earlier orders to turn over evidence related to the case.
English (US)