(PresidentialHill.com)- Rudy Giuliani must face a defamation lawsuit that was filed by two elections workers in Georgia, after a federal judge earlier this week denied his motion to dismiss the suit.
Beryl Howell, the judge who presided over the case for the D.C. District Court, said that he denied the dismissal request because Giuliani, the one-time personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump, contributed to “increasingly outlandish paranoia” as he spread false claims about the 2020 presidential election being stolen.
In her ruling, Howell wrote:
“Defendant Rudolph Giuliani — a current media personality and former politician once dubbed ‘America’s mayor’ — propagated and pushed that false narrative.”
The lawsuit was filed by Shaye Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman. Both of those women served as witnesses for the House’s January 6 panel, describing in testimony how false claims that Giuliani made completely upended their lives.
Part of what Giuliani did was repeatedly share a video that accused the mother and daughter of fraudulently counting ballots in their role as poll workers in Georgia. Both women received multiple death threats as a result of that action, they say.
The lawsuit they filed against Giuliani accuses him of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In her ruling, Howell continued by writing that Giuliani “orchestrated and implemented a strategic plan” about the fraud claims he knew were false and purposefully targeted Moss in doing so. The judge also wrote that Giuliani’s plan “provide[s] ample circumstantial evidence of a civil conspiracy between Giuliani and members of the Trump Campaign.”
Since Howell denied Giuliani’s motion for a dismissal, the trial will move onto the discovery phase. During this phase, Freeman and Moss will have the ability to demand more evidence come from Giuliani to prove their claims.
Moss testified in front of the January 6 committee in June, telling them how her life and that of her mother had been affected since Giuliani targeted them in the videos he shared. She explained:
“It’s affected my life in a — in a major way. In every way. All because of lies. For me doing my job, same thing I’ve been doing forever.
“This turned my life upside down. I no longer give out my business card. I don’t transfer calls. I — I don’t want anyone knowing my name.”
Some Trump supporters even showed up at Moss’ grandmother’s house. They pushed their way into the house so they could make a citizen’s arrest of Freeman and Moss. The FBI later advised Freeman to leave the home.
Moss explained to the January 6 committee:
“I stayed away from my home for approximately two months. It was horrible. I felt homeless. I felt, you know, I can’t believe — I can’t believe this person has caused this much damage to me and my family.”
Giuliani is facing a lot of legal challenges regarding his role in the events after the 2020 presidential election. This one is a civil suit, but he’s also facing potential criminal cases as well.
