A jury has awarded $148 million in damages to two former Georgia election workers who were falsely accused of voter fraud by Rudy Giuliani, former attorney to then-President Donald Trump.
The verdict, delivered on Friday after a four-day civil trial, concludes a two-year legal battle sparked by Giuliani’s baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, worked as election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, a key swing state in the 2020 election.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s loss, Giuliani seized on unsubstantiated claims of voting irregularities and publicly identified Moss and Freeman as perpetrators, falsely accusing them of “passing around” ballots and engaging in other fraudulent activities.
These lies, widely amplified by right-wing media and political figures, subjected Moss and Freeman to a torrent of racist threats and harassment, forcing them to relocate from their homes and live in fear for their safety.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021, accused Giuliani of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. During the trial, Moss and Freeman testified about the devastating impact of Giuliani’s lies on their lives.
They described being inundated with threatening emails, phone calls, and online messages, including racial slurs and calls for violence. Moss, who previously spoke publicly about her experience, even received death threats targeting her young son.
Giuliani, who did not appear in court during the trial, maintained his claims of election fraud but offered no evidence to support them.
His defense argued that he was protected by free speech guarantees and that his comments were made within the context of political discourse.
The jury, however, found that Giuliani’s statements about Moss and Freeman were demonstrably false and made with reckless disregard for their truth or falsity.
The $148 million verdict, representing $74 million for each plaintiff, is one of the largest defamation awards ever issued in a U.S. court.
It sends a powerful message about the potential consequences of spreading false information about individuals, particularly when those lies incite hatred and violence.
“This verdict is a victory for truth and justice,” said Benjamin Crump, attorney for Moss and Freeman. “It sends a clear message that no one, regardless of their position or power, is above the law and that they will be held accountable for their lies.”
The verdict is likely to have far-reaching implications, not only for Giuliani, but also for the broader political discourse surrounding the 2020 election.
It represents a significant legal rebuke to the widespread dissemination of false election claims and highlights the potential harm such claims can inflict on individuals.
As the nation continues to grapple with the fallout from the 2020 election and the rise of political misinformation, the jury’s decision in this case stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of fact-checking and truth-telling, and the consequences of carelessly spreading false information that can have devastating consequences for real people.