Rudy Giuliani defamed two Georgia election workers, judge rules: NPR

Rudy Giuliani speaks outside the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on August 23 before surrendering on 13 felony charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Brynn Anderson/AP Hide caption

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Brynn Anderson/AP

Rudy Giuliani speaks outside the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on August 23 before surrendering on 13 felony charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Brynn Anderson/AP

Rudy Giuliani is found responsible for defaming two Georgia election officials by repeatedly claiming the women tampered with 2020 ballots, a federal judge ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell, a nominee of former President Barack Obama, entered a “default judgment” against Giuliani, writing in a statement Wednesday that he “refused to comply with his disclosure obligations and thwarted plaintiffs Ruby Freeman and Wandrea.” has.” [‘Shaye’] Moss’ procedural rights to obtain any meaningful discovery in this case.”

The decision means Giuliani will be liable for “defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy and punitive damages.” A trial will be held to decide how much he may have to pay Freeman and Moss.

Freeman and Moss, a mother and daughter, sued Giuliani back in 2021 for unspecified damages.

Giuliani targeted the two women as President Donald Trump and his allies spread the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. During the Georgia campaign, Giuliani, Trump and others made Moss and Freeman the target of debunked fraud allegations.

Giuliani's false accusations included claiming that Moss gave her mother a USB drive “as if they were vials of heroin or cocaine” when the two were working for the Fulton County Board of Elections at State Farm Arena in 2020. In reality, Moss said her mother had just given her a ginger mint.

Last month, Giuliani admitted in a court filing in the case that he had indeed made false statements about the two women.

Giuliani surrendered a week ago in Fulton County, where he faces 13 felony counts as part of the sweeping racketeering indictment there.

The former federal prosecutor and New York mayor called the charges “an affront to American democracy.”