Defaming Election Workers: Giuliani Faces Heavy Consequences for Allegations Against Freeman and Moss
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and ex-lawyer for Donald Trump, faced a major setback in August 2023, as a federal jury found him guilty of defaming two women, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, former Georgia election workers.
Following Giuliani's false claims, the women were targeted with racist attacks and harassment, causing significant disruption to their lives. Despite the verdict, Giuliani maintained his confidence in an upcoming appeal, asserting that a fair court would overturn the decision.
Giuliani's accusations against the women stemmed from his role in the incumbent's unsuccessful attempts to overturn the 2020 US Presidential election result by promoting unfounded fraud allegations.
Consequences for Giuliani's Defamatory Statements
Following the verdict, Giuliani was ordered to surrender his valuable possessions, including his Manhattan penthouse apartment, sports memorabilia, jewelry, and other assets to control of Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss. However, there is uncertainty over whether he will be allowed to retain his Florida condo or his Yankees World Series rings.
Additionally, less than a week after the defamation case ruling, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy, citing nearly $153 million in existing or potential debts. Meanwhile, the women are pursuing about $2 million in legal fees that Giuliani claims the Trump campaign still owes him.
Impact of Spreading False Information
The case highlights the impact of spreading false information and the legal and financial consequences that individuals may face. The defamatory claims made against Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss had devastating consequences on their lives, leading to harassment, threats, and upheaval.
It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of verifying information before publishing or promoting it, particularly in high-profile cases like the 2020 US Presidential election.
Enrichment Data
The defamation case Centered on Giuliani’s false claims that Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss were involved in voting fraud during the 2020 US Presidential election. The false accusations led to a barrage of violent threats and harassment against the women, forcing Freeman to leave her home for over two months. Moss also testified about the numerous threats and racist messages she received. Following the verdict, the women were awarded nearly $148 million in damages.
The judge ordered Giuliani to surrender his valuable possessions, including his Manhattan penthouse apartment, sports memorabilia, jewelry, and other assets to the control of the two women, although the future of his Florida condo and Yankees World Series rings remains uncertain.
The women also pursued about $2 million in legal fees that Giuliani claimed the Trump campaign still owed him. Giuliani filed for bankruptcy shortly after the verdict, listing nearly $153 million in debts.
[1] Weir, D., & LaMagna, W. (2023, August 24). Giuliani hit with $147 million defamation award in Georgia election case. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/24/giuliani-hit-147-million-defamation-award-georgia-election-case/
[2] Heilprin, J., & Harrow, L. (2023, August 24). Giuliani may have to surrender assets in defamation trial over false voting claims. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-us-news-rug function() {'!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}'(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', 1450983375518918); fbq('track', PageView);').call(this,window,document', 'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js', 'fbq');&track&=&PageView&&fbq&=&fbq&%26amp;timeout=10&theresponse&=%7B%271%27%3A1%7D&dataHandler&=%7B%7D&override&=%7B%27mobileWebBrowser%27%3Atrue%7D&cookieDomain&=%7B%27domain'%;27%3A'facebook.com%27%7D&xfbml&=%7B%27version'%;27%3A%27v10.0%27%7D&appId&=%7B%27application_id%27%3A%27105287412739156%27%7D).call(this, window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js',{ shim: '1.0',шли企业优质文案解决方案，提供文案修改、文案设计、文案翻译、文案原创等服务，为企业提供专业性文案支持！',async:'async', }); });
