Georgia election workers seek more penalties against Giuliani, saying he continues to defame them

[November 21, 2024]  By DAVE COLLINS

Two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation judgment against Rudy Giuliani asked a judge Wednesday to penalize him even further for continuing to falsely accuse them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election.

Attorneys for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, argued in a filing in a Washington, D.C. federal court that Giuliani has “brazenly” violated an agreement he signed to stop repeating the falsehoods, The alleged violations came in statements he made during two recent broadcasts of his nightly show on the social media platform X.

“These statements repeat the exact same lies for which Mr. Giuliani has already been held liable, and which he agreed to be bound by court order to stop repeating,” read the filing, which asked the judge to hold Giuliani in contempt and impose sanctions against him.

A lawyer for Giuliani, Joseph M. Cammarata, said he had not seen the court filing and could not respond to its specific claims, but accused the women's attorneys of trying to intimidate the former New York City mayor. In a statement, Giuliani's spokesperson, Ted Goodman, called the new legal filing an attempt to “deprive Mayor Rudy Giuliani of his First Amendment right to freedom of speech.”

Giuliani is barred from accusing the women of election wrongdoing
Giuliani, a longtime Donald Trump ally, was found liable last year for defaming Freeman and Moss by accusing them of ballot tampering as he pushed then-President Trump’s lies about election fraud. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.

The $148 million judgment led to a failed bankruptcy attempt by Giuliani. He has since been ordered to turn over many of his assets to Freeman and Moss, including his $5 million Upper East Side apartment.

In December, the women sued Giuliani again for continuing to repeat his ballot-tampering claims, resulting in the court issuing a permanent injunction in May that barred the former mayor from making any statements that suggest the women engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with the 2020 presidential election.

Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, left, and her mother Ruby Freeman, right, leave after speaking with reporters outside federal court, Dec. 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Lawyers for the two plaintiffs argued in Wednesday's court filing that Giuliani broke that agreement when he referred to the pair again on his recent video broadcasts on Nov. 12 and Nov. 14, including baselessly claiming that he was not allowed to show tapes of "quadruple counting" ballots during the trial.

In his statement responding to the filing, Goodman argued that Giuliani “has every right to defend himself.”

Giuliani's lawyer says ‘90 to 95%’ of his possessions have been turned over
Giuliani has been critical of a judge’s ruling that ordered him to turn over many prized possessions to Freeman and Moss — including the apartment, a Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall and dozens of luxury watches. He said he should not have had to surrender his possessions until his appeal is decided.

At a news conference in New York City on Wednesday, Cammarata said Giuliani has turned over “90 to 95%” of his possessions. Last week Giuliani surrendered the Mercedes and watches. Cammarata said the 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL 500, Giuliani's only vehicle, should be appraised to determine whether it's worth less than $5,500, an amount he said would exempt the car from the judgment.

As for the New York apartment, Cammarata said it either has been turned over or is in the process of being turned over.

Giuliani has remained defiant amid the collection efforts, which have stretched past an Oct. 29 deadline.

“We will not relent,” Cammarata said.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report.

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