Former Election Workers Sue Giuliani for Defamation

Washington

Two former Fulton County, Georgia, election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, have filed a lawsuit against Giuliani. They claim that he orchestrated a smear campaign against them by repeatedly making false accusations of election fraud in an attempt to change the outcome of the 2020 election in their state. According to recent court filings, they are seeking damages ranging from $15.5 million to $43 million.

Prior to the jury trial this week, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell had already determined that Giuliani is liable for multiple claims, including defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy.

The two election workers were thrust into the spotlight after Giuliani shared a video of them processing ballots on election night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Giuliani alleged that the video proved their involvement in a fraudulent ballot processing scheme. However, an investigation conducted by the Georgia secretary of state later determined that "All allegations made against Freeman and Moss were unsubstantiated and found to have no merit." [source]

Giuliani has since admitted that his statements about Freeman and Moss were false. He acknowledged that he falsely accused them of participating in voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. However, he maintained that his accusations were protected under the First Amendment as constitutionally protected speech.