Washington, Dec 15 (EFE). – Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was ordered on Friday to pay $148 million for defamation against two Georgia election workers he accused of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Giuliani, who was a lawyer for former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021), accused Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, without evidence, of tampering with the results in Georgia, where Democrat Joe Biden narrowly defeated Trump.
A federal judge in Washington ruled in August that Giuliani was guilty of defaming the two women, and after two days of deliberations, a jury ruled Friday that he must pay $148 million in damages to the victims.
According to the local press, Giuliani is facing numerous financial problems and has not yet deposited the $200,000 fine imposed on him in August for the same case.
“I don’t regret a damn thing,” the former mayor said as he left the courthouse, where he repeated to the press his conspiracy theory that the 2020 elections was rigged.
Shaye Moss told reporters that Giuliani’s lies changed her and her mother’s lives, and that the past two years have been “devastating” for both of them.
In 2020, Guliani and the Trump campaign released a video of Freeman and Moss at a Georgia polling place, falsely claiming that the women were carrying suitcases full of ballots.
During the trial, Giuliani’s defense admitted he made a mistake, but claimed the former mayor was actually “a good man” and that the amount the two women were asking for was too much.
The Republican did not testify at the trial at the recommendation of his lawyers.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Ruby Freeman gave emotional testimony about the racist threats and insults she and her daughter, both African-American, have endured since the presidential election.
“Giuliani ruined my life,” declared the woman, who still says she is “afraid” to say her name in public.
The former mayor has defended his conduct as protected by freedom of speech.
Giuliani is also accused in the Georgia case of being Trump’s accomplice in the criminal conspiracy to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election.
According to the local press, the former mayor had unsuccessfully asked Trump for money to cover the costs of his legal cases. EFE
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