Judge Issues Ruling Against Rudy Giuliani in Georgia Defamation Lawsuit

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington on Nov. 19, 2020. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo

Federal Judge Beryl Howell has issued a default judgment against attorney Rudy Giuliani in a defamation lawsuit by Georgia election workers.

In the Aug. 30 ruling (pdf), Judge Howell said Mr. Giuliani had forfeited the case by failing to produce documents and other information requested by plaintiffs’ attorneys. Mr. Giuliani had struggled to retain access to his records against information demands from attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the mother and daughter duo suing Mr. Giuliani.

Mr. Giuliani alleged publicly that Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss were responsible for ballot tampering during the 2020 election in Georgia.

The court ruled that Mr. Giuliani’s refusal to produce the documents constituted a forfeiture of his defense in the case and thereby issued a default judgment, a kind of ruling used in cases in which defendants fail to appear in court, answer a summons, furnish documents, or provide other information requested by the court.

As part of the Aug. 30 ruling, Mr. Giuliani has been ordered to pay attorney fees for Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss related to the discovery motion of the requested documents.

The default judgment against Mr. Giuliani encompasses defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, and punitive damage claims by Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss.

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs didn’t request a specific dollar amount.

Now that a judgment has been issued against Mr. Giuliani, the amount he'll have to pay is set to be determined at a later date.

Mr. Giuliani is also facing criminal action in Georgia courts alongside 18 others, including former President Donald Trump, for his conduct during the aftermath of the 2020 election.

In that case, Mr. Giuliani faces 13 felony charges, including one serious felony charge.

Like all other defendants in the Georgia case, Mr. Giuliani is being charged with a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, a type of bill most commonly used to bring down cartels, drug trafficking rings, and other large-scale criminal enterprises.

Other charges include three counts of solicitation of violation of oath of office by a public officer, three counts of false statements and writings, two counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, two counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, one count of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer, and one count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents.

Mr. Giuliani has joined President Trump in decrying the cases against him as politically motivated and a violation of his First Amendment rights to unhindered political speech.