A jury determined Rudy Giuliani must pay $148 million in damages to Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shaye" Moss.
"The lies Rudy Giuliani told about me and my mommy after the 2020 presidential election have changed our lives," Moss said in a statement following the ruling. "The past few years have been devastating."
Since 2020, Rudy Giuliani has been spreading lies that the Georgia election workers committed ballot fraud.
"I have no doubt that my comments were made and they were supportable and are supportable today," Giuliani told reporters after the ruling. "I just did not have an opportunity to present the evidence that we offered."
The trial highlighted the extent of the damage done to Freeman and Moss' reputations after Giuliani used his status and platform to circulate false information about them.
Moss told the jury she took steps to alter her physical appearance, getting rid of her braids and dyeing her hair blond after strangers said they wanted to hang her.
Freeman testified that the FBI told her to move after she received hundreds of threats, including voicemail messages threatening to burn her store down.
Giuliani ordered to pay $148 million in GA election defamation case
Jurors deliberated for hours Thursday and Friday at Washington’s federal courthouse before reaching a verdict.
This is the second phase of the case. In August, the judge on the case ruled Giuliani was liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
But as recently as Monday, Giuliani repeated the false statements in discussions with reporters outside the federal court where the case was going on.
Giuliani's attorney admitted Freeman and Moss didn't deserve what happened to them — but he also tried to convince the jury to consider the entirety of Giuliani's life, instead of judging him on more recent events.
The strategy was unsuccessful: The jury decided Friday that Giuliani owed more than 100 million dollars in damages.
Giuliani said he plans to appeal the ruling.
