Judge Will Weigh Holding Giuliani In Contempt Of Court After Jury's 148 Million Defamation Award

A federal judge is set to hear arguments Friday on whether to hold Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for continuing to spread lies about two Georgia election workers after they secured a 148 million defamation judgment against him.

Plaintiffs' attorneys have asked U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., to impose civil contempt sanctions against Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who served as Donald Trump's attorney. They say Giuliani has continued to falsely accuse Wandrea "Shaye" Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, of committing election fraud in connection with the 2020 election.

Moss and Freeman sued Giuliani, saying he upended their lives with racist threats and harassment. A jury sided with the mother and daughter, who are Black, in December 2023 and awarded them 75 million in punitive damages plus roughly 73 million in other damages.

"Mr. Giuliani started lying about Plaintiffs in December of 2020, and refused to stop after repeatedly being told that his election-rigging conspiracy theory about Plaintiffs was baseless, malicious, and dangerous," the plaintiffs' lawyers wrote .

Giuliani's attorneys argued that the plaintiffs haven't presented "clear and convincing" evidence that he violated a court order in the defamation case in comments that he made on November podcasts about alleged ballot counting irregularities in Georgia.