Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, was granted approval on Friday by a New York bankruptcy court to pursue a new trial for the $148 million in damages he was ordered to pay for defaming two Georgia poll workers.
Rudy Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million in damages for defaming two Georgia poll workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. The defamation verdict was based on Giuliani’s false claims that the two workers conspired to rig the 2020 election, which led to harassment and harm. The jury’s unanimous decision included $75 million in punitive damages to deter future misconduct.
The case was brought to court after Giuliani refused to preserve and turn over key evidence, leading to a default judgment against him in August. The plaintiffs expressed concerns about Giuliani’s escalating debts and insolvency, fearing that he might evade payments. As a result, they sought a court order to prevent him from spreading further false claims and to move on his assets before they could be dissipated.