Rudy Giuliani's baseless claims about two Georgia poll workers after the 2020 election “stole” their lives and destroyed their reputations, the duo's lawyers told a jury in Washington, DC, on Monday
Giuliani met the two workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, in person as a trial began Monday over how much the Trump ally must pay the women after a judge found the former New York mayor liable because he failed to provide evidence in the case.
Freeman and Moss are now seeking more than $43.5 million in damages, court records show.
Their attorney, Von DuBose, began his opening statement by playing excerpts for the jury of what he said were hundreds of threatening voicemails left by his clients after the 2020 election, often containing racist language.
DuBose placed the blame squarely on Giuliani, noting that at times groups showed up at Freeman's doorstep “responding to what Mr. Giuliani had told them.”
“It was fast, it was racist and it was vicious,” DuBose said of the threats.
Joseph Sibley, Giuliani's lawyer, acknowledged that Freeman and Moss “didn't deserve” what happened to them.
“There is truly no question that these plaintiffs were harmed. “These are good people,” Sibley said.
But while Sibley admitted Giuliani had done something wrong, he insisted his client should not be blamed for the barrage of threats against Freeman and Moss.
“Other people have done this independently of Mr. Giuliani,” Sibley said.
After the 2020 election, Giuliani made the two women the epicenter of the Trump campaign's baseless claims of mass voter fraud.
Giuliani and others alleged that the mother-daughter pair scanned ballots hidden in suitcases under tables at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where votes were being counted to tip the election in President Biden's favor. The focus of Giuliani's claims was video footage that he claimed showed the duo passing a USB stick to scan the hidden ballots. In reality it was a ginger mint.
Freeman and Moss sued Giulaini for defamation, alleging that he intentionally caused them emotional distress and conspired with others to do the same.
Eight jurors were previously selected for the compensation trial, which is expected to last four days.
The group of eight selected D.C. residents includes a Girl Scout accountant, a project manager for Booz Allen Hamilton and a former daycare worker.
The former New York City mayor turned Trump lawyer was ordered by the judge to be physically present in the courtroom for the duration of the trial. After missing last week's pretrial conference, Giuliani arrived late on Monday, entering the courthouse's slow security line at 9 a.m. — just as the trial was set to begin.
Monday's trial ended with the plaintiffs' first witness, Regina Scott, testifying about her work at a risk management firm that monitored the duo on social media after the election.
Both Freeman and Moss are expected to testify later in the week. Giuliani is also listed as a potential witness.
At the end of the trial, Sibley said he would pay damages to the jury in an amount he deems appropriate. However, he suggested that the other side's demand was the “civil law equivalent of the death penalty.”
“It will be the end of Mr. Giuliani,” Sibley said.
Giuliani spoke to reporters after the trial concluded and said he would tell his story when he testifies later in the week.
“Of course I don’t regret it, I told the truth,” he said when asked about his statements after the election.
Updated at 5:46 p.m
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