(LibertySons.org) – Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss filed suit against Rudy Giuliani for defamation, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress after former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer spread rumors and conspiracies about the two women, saying they had perpetrated election fraud during the vote counting process and showing edited video footage to bolster the claim. On Tuesday, December 12, Moss testified how Giuliani’s “crazy lies” had adversely affected her life and the lives of her son, mother, and grandmother.
Default Judgment Leads to Penalty Assessment Trial
On August 30, Judge Beryl Howell entered a default judgment against Giuliani in the suit after attempting to obtain discovery from him for nearly 18 months. In July, he agreed not to contest the stipulation that his statements about Freeman and Moss were false and defamatory “solely for the purposes of this litigation.” The former New York mayor is facing several other civil and criminal complaints.
In her 57-page order, Howell conjectured that perhaps the defendant didn’t want the requested discovery to become public record. However, she pointed out his ploy carried “The downside risk” of sanctions.
Howell ordered Giuliani to pay the plaintiffs’ attorney fees and costs associated with the failed discovery attempts, more than $132,850, citing his “willful” refusal to submit documents, costing plaintiffs and the court additional time and money.
Moss and Freeman Testify
Moss testified on December 12, tearfully explaining to the jury how Giuliani’s lies irreparably changed her life. Moss left the job she loved, even though the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), and the Elections Bureau cleared her of any wrongdoing. She began receiving threats almost immediately after Giuliani released his video footage. Her 14-year-old son also received threats, becoming so shaken he failed all his classes for a semester.
The threats included racial slurs and threats of violence, including lynching. Strangers tried to force their way into her grandmother’s home to make “citizens’ arrests” of Moss and her mother, Freeman. Moss, once bubbly and perpetually happy, became clinically depressed, anxious, and paranoid.
Freeman testified the following day. She told the jury the lies had cost her the ability to use her name, her business, and her home. Soon after Giuliani released the video, the FBI advised her to leave her home for her own safety. She left for two months, but she eventually sold the house because of ongoing threats.
She also had to close her clothing store because of threats. The store, LaRuby, had carried a form of her childhood nickname, Lady Ruby. She felt she could no longer safely use that moniker.
After roughly a day and a half of deliberation, the jury awarded the plaintiffs a total of roughly $148 million in damages on December 15. Giuliani was ordered to pay Freeman more than $16 million and Moss nearly $17 million for defamation. The jury also awarded each woman an additional $20 million each for emotional distress and $75 million in punitive damages to both women.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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