A federal judge on Wednesday ruled in favor of two Georgia election workers who sued former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani for defamation, according to the Hill.
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss sued Giuliani in December 2021 over his baseless statements claiming they commit election fraud to swing the Georgia election to Joe Biden.
The pair said they suffered emotional and reputational harm, as well as having their safety put in danger after Giuliani falsely accuse them of election fraud.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the two election workers by default after Giuliani failed to turning over discovery in the case.
“Perhaps, he has made the calculation that his overall litigation risks are minimized by not complying with his discovery obligations in this case,” Howell wrote. “Whatever the reason, obligations are case specific and withholding required discovery in this case has consequences.”
A trial to determine the amount of damages for which Giuliani will be held liable will be set for later this year or early 2024, Howell of the D.C. said on Wednesday.
“This 57 page opinion on discovery—which would usually be no more than two or three pages—is a prime example of the weaponization of the justice system, where the process is the punishment,” Ted Goodman, political advisor to Giuliani, said in a statement. “This decision should be reversed, as Mayor Giuliani is wrongly accused of not preserving electronic evidence that was seized and held by the FBI.”
