21st September, 2023
A U.S. Federal judge has set December 11 to determine how much Rudy Giuliani, an ally of former President Donald Trump, owes to Georgia’s election workers he defamed.
Giuliani, 79, was found guilty last month of defaming election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss in a default judgment handed down by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
The former mayor of New York City had falsely claimed that Freeman and Moss were caught processing “suitcases” of illegal ballots during the counting of votes during the election in a bid to overturn the results of the 2020 general election.
Specifically, he was found liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy.
At the time, Howell also ordered Giuliani to pay $133,000 in sanctions for failing to comply with a discovery order to turn over electronic documents and other evidence sought in the civil lawsuit.
The legal teams for Giuliani and the election workers submitted a joint filing to the court proposing that the trial, expected to last between three and five days, begin on either Dec. 11, Jan. 8 or Feb. 20. The judge picked the December date in a brief order reviewed by UPI.
Giuliani is also facing a nearly $1.4 million lawsuit from a lawyer who has represented him in various legal matters over unpaid bills.
The former attorney, once praised as “America’s mayor” for his leadership in New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, has pleaded not guilty to 13 criminal charges for his alleged role in Trump’s scheme to undermine the 2020 presidential election.