Jury Selection to Begin in Defamation Lawsuit Against Rudy Giuliani
Washington — Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in a high-profile defamation lawsuit against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, tied to his alleged efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
The former New York City mayor was sued by two former Fulton County, Georgia, election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss. They alleged Giuliani mounted a smear campaign against them by repeatedly falsely accusing them of committing election fraud to change the outcome of the 2020 election in their state. They're seeking from $15.5 million to $43 million for damages from Giuliani, according to recent court filings, but it's not clear yet what the jury will award them.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell already found earlier this year that Giuliani was liable for several claims of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy. The jury trial that begins Monday will determine the damages to be awarded to Freeman and Moss.
The two election workers were catapulted into the public eye after Giuliani posted video of the two processing ballots on election night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta and claimed it showed they were engaged in a fake ballot processing scheme.
In June, the Georgia Election Board concluded its extensive investigation and declared that the allegations made against the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections, as well as two election workers, were baseless and unsupported. The board found no evidence of any fraudulent activities as alleged.
Judge Howell has also ruled that Giuliani must reimburse Freeman and Moss for more than $89,000 in attorneys' fees and costs related to a request to fulfill his discovery obligations. Additionally, Giuliani's businesses are required to cover over $43,000 in attorneys' fees associated with an attempt to compel Freeman and Moss to provide requested documents and depositions.
Originally, Giuliani was given a deadline of July 25 to reimburse Freeman and Moss. As a consequence for failing to meet this deadline, Howell stated that the jury may infer that Giuliani is intentionally trying to conceal relevant discovery about his financial assets in order to artificially lower his net worth. This inference will be considered when determining the amount to be awarded to Freeman and Moss.
During an earlier stage of the case, Giuliani admitted to making false statements about Freeman and Moss, claiming they were involved in voter fraud. However, he argued that his statements were protected under the Constitution as free speech.
Freeman and Moss were prominently featured in the House select committee's investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They testified before Congress, revealing that they have received numerous threats against their lives. In special counsel Jack Smith's 2020 election-related indictment against Trump, Freeman and Moss were mentioned. CBS News has identified Giuliani as an unnamed co-conspirator in the indictment.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted Giuliani and the former president earlier this year for their alleged efforts to overturn Georgia's election results. Prosecutors claim that a Trump associate attempted to pressure Freeman into altering her testimony about the election during a state investigation. Trump and Giuliani have pleaded not guilty to the charges and deny any wrongdoing.
The original lawsuit was also filed against Herring Media, the owner of One America News, but those parties settled the claims.
A criminal attorney for Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment. However, Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Giuliani, released the following statement ahead of the trial:
"In the fullness of time, this will be looked at as a dark chapter in our nation's history, as those in power attempt to destroy their partisan political opposition in ways that cause great, irreparable harm to the U.S. justice system," Goodman said. "I urge members of the legal community and all Americans — across the partisan political spectrum — to stand up and speak out against the weaponization of our justice system against political opponents."
