Posted on 12/16/23
| News Source: WMAR2NEWS
A jury announced Friday that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani must pay more than $148 million in damages to two Georgia election workers he defamed.
The jury broke down the payments in three different categories: Giuliani must pay Wandrea “Shaye” Moss $16,998,000 and her mother Ruby Freeman $16,171,000 in compensatory damages.
In addition, Giuliani owes Moss and Freeman $20 million each for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The jury also ruled that Giuliani must pay Moss and Freeman an additional $75 million in punitive damages. Those judgments add up to $148,169,000.
Jurors deliberated for hours Thursday and Friday at Washington's federal courthouse before reaching a verdict.
A judge already ruled that Giuliani defamed Moss and Freeman when he falsely alleged that they committed ballot fraud during Georgia's 2020 presidential election.
Freeman told jurors on Wednesday about the threatening and racist messages she had received. Some of the messages were played for jurors.
In their closing statements, attorneys for the women pointed out that Giuliani has repeated the false statements, even as recently as when speaking to reporters outside the courthouse while the trial was underway.
Giuliani had hinted he would testify in the case. On Wednesday he told reporters "I said the truth will come out; the truth will come out. I didn't say when, so it will come out and it will come out very, very shortly."