Rudy Giuliani Concedes Defamation in Georgia Election Workers Lawsuit
In a late-night filing on Tuesday, Rudy Giuliani admitted to making defamatory statements about Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Giuliani made this concession in an effort to resolve the lawsuit against him and satisfy the judge handling the case, who had considered imposing sanctions on him.
The filing acknowledges that Giuliani does not dispute the accusations from Moss and Freeman that he smeared their reputation after the 2020 election. However, he still maintains that his statements about voter fraud in the Georgia election were protected speech. Notably, he refuses to admit that his statements caused any damages to Moss or Freeman.
While this filing does not immediately resolve the case against Giuliani, it is a significant development in the lawsuit. Previously, the judge warned Giuliani that he could face severe sanctions or even lose the lawsuit for failing to gather and turn over his own records to Moss and Freeman’s legal team.
Now, it is up to Federal Judge Beryl A. Howell of the DC District Court to review Giuliani’s recent filings, which also attempt to provide explanations for his failure to thoroughly search his records.
It remains unclear how criminal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s special counsel’s office will view Giuliani’s unusual approach in the lawsuit, as they have already interviewed him.
Moss and Freeman’s lawyers are expected to respond to Giuliani’s statements in court next week. Their lead attorney has described Giuliani’s concessions as a “major milestone” in the case, affirming the women’s integrity and emphasizing the false nature of the election fraud allegations made against them by Giuliani and former President Donald Trump.
Giuliani’s Legal Troubles
Giuliani has been scrambling to handle the consequences he may face from the lawsuit filed by Moss and Freeman. At the same time, he has been dealing with other legal issues related to defamation lawsuits and federal and state criminal investigations concerning the 2020 election.
In addition, Giuliani is facing disbarment proceedings in New York and Washington, DC, for spreading false election fraud allegations in court on behalf of Trump without verification.
CNN’s senior legal analyst, Elie Honig, has characterized Giuliani’s recent actions as “desperate” and an attempt to limit his exposure in the case. Honig noted that Giuliani is conceding to lying about Moss and Freeman, which is uncommon in defamation cases where such statements are usually the main focus.
Giuliani’s court filing specifically states that he “does not contest” the falsity of his assertions about the women and acknowledges that the statements were defamatory. However, a political adviser to Giuliani later clarified that he did not admit the statements were false but did not contest them in order to move forward with a motion to dismiss the case.
Impact on Election Workers
Moss and Freeman have accused Giuliani of scapegoating them in a fabricated effort to undermine the legitimacy of the vote counting process in Georgia. They assert that Giuliani’s statements about them, including calling them ballot-stuffing criminals, are false.
Giuliani also circulated a video, originally posted by the Trump campaign, that claimed to show suitcases filled with ballots. However, a state investigation and Georgia election officials have debunked these allegations of fraud.
As a result of Trump and Giuliani’s false claims, Moss and Freeman’s lives have been profoundly impacted. They have faced harassment and threats, with their privacy violated and their safety compromised.
Moss has spoken about feeling responsible for her family’s situation and the fear induced by the threats they receive. Meanwhile, Freeman was advised by the FBI to leave her home for her own safety during Giuliani’s disinformation campaign.
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