Rudy Giuliani has acknowledged making defamatory statements about Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss as part of an attempt to resolve their lawsuit against him. This move was also an effort to appease the judge, who had been considering sanctions against him.
In a late-night Tuesday filing, Giuliani admitted that he does not contest Moss and Freeman’s accusations of smearing them after the 2020 election. However, he still wants to assert that his statements about voter fraud in Georgia during the 2020 election were protected speech. He does not concede that his statements caused any damages to Moss or Freeman.
Despite Giuliani’s concessions, the case against him is not immediately resolved. The judge, Beryl A. Howell of the DC District Court, is still reviewing parts of Giuliani’s filings from Tuesday. The judge had previously cautioned Giuliani about the possibility of losing the lawsuit or facing severe sanctions for not properly gathering and turning over his own records to Moss and Freeman’s legal team.
As a consequence of his concessions, the judge ordered Giuliani to pay more of Moss and Freeman’s legal fees, in addition to the $90,000 he was already ordered to pay.
Giuliani’s legal situation has become complicated as he faces various investigations and lawsuits related to the 2020 election, including the defamation suit from Moss and Freeman. He is also dealing with disbarment proceedings in New York state and Washington, DC, due to the false election fraud allegations he made on behalf of Trump without proper verification.
The move made by Giuliani is seen as desperate by legal analysts, as he attempts to limit his exposure in the lawsuit by making concessions. He specifically admitted that the assertions he made about Moss and Freeman, accusing them of being part of a vote-manipulation scheme in Georgia, were false and defamatory.
Moss and Freeman have been outspoken about the impact of Giuliani’s false claims on their lives. They accused him of scapegoating them and spreading fabricated information to undermine the credibility of the 2020 election vote counting in Georgia. Giuliani’s misleading references to a video of them added to their distress, as the video only showed regular ballot processing, not the fraudulent activities he alleged.
Freeman expressed her fear for her safety due to the threats she received following Giuliani’s disinformation campaign. The FBI even recommended that she leave her home for her protection during that time.
Giuliani’s attempt to resolve the lawsuit by admitting to defamatory statements is still being closely monitored by federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s special counsel’s office, who had interviewed him previously.
Lawyers for Moss and Freeman are set to respond to Giuliani’s latest statements in court next week, viewing his concessions as a significant development in the case.