Giuliani was found to have defamed two election workers after accusing them of involvement in election fraud.
In Washington, a jury has indicted the former mayor of New York and Donald Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani to pay nearly $150 million in damages for defamation.
Giuliani was found to have defamed two election workers in the state of Georgia when Giuliani alleged that they had committed election fraud.
An eight-person federal jury ruled that election workers Ruby Freeman and his daughter Wandrea Moss are each awarded $16 million for defamation and $20 million for emotional distress. In addition, Giuliani was ordered to pay approximately $75 million in punitive damages.
The jury returned its verdict Friday afternoon after three days of emotional testimony. Dark-skinned women Freeman and Moss said they received a huge number of racist and sexist messages and death threats after former US President Donald Trump and his allies spread false claims that the women committed electoral fraud.
– Today is a good day. The jury got to witness what Rudy Giuliani did to me and my daughter and they held him responsible for this, Freeman commented to the press outside the courthouse.
Giuliani is appealing the verdict
Giuliani says he plans to appeal the verdict.
– The absurdity of the compensation amount only underlines the absurdity of the entire trial, Giuliani told the press outside the courthouse after the verdict.
In August, a federal judge ruled that Giuliani, 79, is liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and conspiracy.
Giuliani repeatedly falsely claimed that security camera video showed Freeman and Moss hiding and taking suitcases containing illegal ballots to an Atlanta sports arena used to count votes in the 2020 presidential election.
A state investigation found that the women had handled the tickets legally and properly. Lawyers for Freeman and Moss said the indictments were part of a conspiracy by Trump and his lawyers and the right-wing media to fuel Trump’s doubts about the legitimacy of the election.
Giuliani has received several criminal charges after becoming entangled in attempts to turn the election result in Trump’s favor.
Sources: Reuters, AFP