Anticipated Testimony: Rudy Giuliani Set to Take the Stand in Defamation Trial Following Emotionally Charged Accounts from Election Workers
Rudy Giuliani set to testify in defamation trial, countering claims that he should pay millions in damages to Georgia election workers for spreading conspiracy theories
Rudy Giuliani plans to testify on Thursday in his defamation damages trial, aiming to rebut the allegations that he owes two Georgia election workers millions of dollars for spreading conspiracy theories about them following the 2020 election. "I intend to. You always leave them guessing, right?" Giuliani, the ex-attorney of Donald Trump, told reporters after the trial recessed for the day.
A sketch from the defamation trial of Rudy Giuliani on December 13, 2023.
Bill Hennessy
Georgia election worker describes flood of threats she received after Giulianis lies in 2020
Giuliani's testimony will follow the emotional testimony given by Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss. They have detailed the harm caused to their reputations and lives by the lies spread by Giuliani. Freeman and Moss are seeking millions of dollars in damages from Giuliani for the emotional and reputational harm they have endured, making their case to an eight-person jury in Washington, DC.
The lawsuit has once again drawn focus to the real-life consequences of misinformation spread by Trump and his supporters following the 2020 election, as the ex-president faces his own legal challenges. Giuliani has been held responsible for defamation and is now required to pay Freeman and Moss over $230,000 after neglecting to address certain aspects of their legal action.
Former federal prosecutor Giuliani has no intention of calling additional witnesses to testify as part of his defense.
During her emotional testimony on Wednesday, Freeman recounted the numerous threats she received after Giuliani spread false information about her and her daughter. At one moment, her lawyer had her show the jury some of the racially charged messages she had received following the 2020 election.
"May you be locked up and the key thrown away, you despicable traitor," read one of the messages.
"I got so many on my phone that it crashed and died at one point," Freeman testified.
Her distress was evident as she viewed the numerous messages. Reading some aloud, she struggled to hold back tears at times.
"Pack your belongings. They're on their way. I'm not far behind. I'm coming for you too. Trash will be disposed of on the street in bags," read another message.
"I took it as though they were going to cut me up and put me into trash bags and take it out to my street," Freeman said.
Former Fulton County Elections Department employee Wandrea "Shaye" Moss reacts to a video of her mother's deposition testimony being played during the fourth public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, held on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. on June 21, 2022. (Reporting by Tom Brenner/Reuters)
Trapped under the boot of someone else's power: Georgia election worker testifies about Giuliani's deceitful tactics. The day before, Moss also described to the jury how her life has been affected by Giuliani's attacks on the two women.
"I feel like I'm being crushed under someone else's control," she stated on Tuesday. "I'm powerless and surrounded by lies, unable to take any action." In July, Giuliani admitted to making defamatory remarks about Moss and Freeman but argued that his comments did not harm the women and that his statements about voter fraud in the 2020 Georgia election were protected speech.
In his opening statements on Monday, attorney Joseph Sibley conceded that harm was inflicted upon Freeman and Moss, and that the jury would be awarding damages against his client. However, he contested that the plaintiffs' sought-after amount far surpassed what Giuliani should be responsible for paying based on his actions. Sibley went on to state that the amount sought by the plaintiffs in damages is "the civil equivalent of the death penalty."
"Theyre trying to end Mr. Giuliani," he told the jury.
