The trial of Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and personal attorney to Donald Trump, is reaching its conclusion as attorneys present their closing arguments.
Giuliani faces a defamation lawsuit filed by two former Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, over false claims he made regarding their involvement in alleged election fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
Freeman and Moss are seeking a multi-million dollar payout, citing the distress and reputational harm caused by Giuliani’s fraudulent statements, which led to racial harassment and death threats. Giuliani has conceded that his remarks were defamatory, leaving it to the eight-member jury in Washington, D.C., to determine the financial compensation for the plaintiffs.
The women initially sought $43 million in damages, but during the trial, their lawyer argued for an increase to $24 million each, totaling $48 million. Freeman, who testified during the trial, expressed the devastating impact of false accusations, particularly when Donald Trump repeated Giuliani’s claims, linking her to alleged election fraud.
In a recording of a phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Trump invoked Freeman’s name, accusing her of cheating in the election. This call occurred just four days before the U.S. Capitol insurrection.
Freeman, while testifying, expressed her devastation:
“The president, talking about me? Me? How mean, how evil. I just was devastated. Me? I didn’t do nothing. It made me feel like, you don’t care that I’m a real person.”
Giuliani, despite admitting to the defamatory nature of his statements, has refused to testify in his trial. His attorney, Joseph Sibley IV, argued that the damages Freeman and Moss are seeking are excessive and likened it to the “civil equivalent of the death penalty.” While acknowledging Giuliani’s wrongful conduct, Sibley urged the jury to consider a penalty proportional to his client’s actions.
Michael Gottlieb, representing Freeman and Moss, called on the jury to “send a message” through the compensation amount, stating that Giuliani “abused his notoriety” and “access to power” to “scapegoat” his clients.
The jury is now set to deliberate and determine the financial consequences Giuliani will face for his defamatory statements against Freeman and Moss.
