Giuliani Ordered to Pay $148 Million to Election Workers He Defamed

[demmiblue]

Source: Rolling Stone

Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to pay two Georgia election workers a total of $148 million for spreading defamatory conspiracy theories about them in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

The eight person jury reached the decision unanimously on Friday after deliberating for two days. The jury found Giuliani owes Wandrea ArShaye “Shaye” Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman $16,998,000 and $16,171,000, respectively, for defamation; $20 million a piece for emotional distress; and $75 million total in punitive damages. The payout totals over $148 million.

Moss and Freeman sued Giuliani in December of last year, alleging that the attorney had falsely accused them of manipulating the 2020 presidential vote in Georgia. In August, Giuliani was found liable for spreading false claims about Moss and Freeman. This week’s trial focused solely on the amount of money the former New York mayor and Trump attorney owed the two women.

During the trial, both women testified about the extent to which the conspiracies spread by Giuliani upended their lives and endangered their safety. On Tuesday, Moss described running to her hairdresser and begging her to help change her appearance after realizing that she’d become the target of a right-wing mob egged on by Giuliani. She told the court that the threats and harassment caused her to fear for her life.

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/rudy-giuliani-148-million-defamed-election-workers-1234930268/

---

[Joinfortmill]

1. Good. A strong message sent

[LiberalFighter]

2. It is a shame they won't be able to collect it all. I hope somehow they get all they can.

[aggiesal]

63. Guiliani's NY house on the Upper East Side is for sale @ $6M, so hopefully they'll get that n/t

[Voltaire2]

3. And yet this clown helped organize a coup and is walking around free.

Also see Alex Jones. He will obfuscate and delay for years. He may never pay anything.

[progressoid]

68. Yup. n/t

[walkingman]

4. This sends a message to the rest of the ghouls that would act this way - Yea!!

[FarPoint]

5. How can this payment be enforced?

Can Rudy just ignore the judgement?

[marble falls]

7. If he refuses a court order, he can be jailed for contempt. He could be jailed as long as he refuses ...

... there are cases of guys who've stayed in jail for years and years refusing to pay child support to get out.

[MichMan]

8. He can be jailed until he pays it off?

I didn't think we had debtors prison for a civil judgement.

[rurallib]

15. me. neither

[jerkyEd]

25. There is a distinction between debtor's prison and a court-ordered settlement

Retrieved from ChatGPT:
Debtor's prison and being held in contempt for not paying a court-ordered settlement are two distinct legal concepts:

Debtor's Prison:

Legal Basis: The concept was rooted in the idea that all debts must be repaid, even at the cost of personal liberty.

Current Status: In most modern legal systems, debtor's prisons have been abolished. This means that simply being unable to pay a debt is not typically grounds for imprisonment.

Historical Context: Debtor's prisons were common in earlier centuries. They were facilities where individuals who were unable to pay off debts were imprisoned. This practice was based on the notion that imprisonment could compel debt repayment or punishment for failure to meet contractual obligations.

Contempt for Not Paying a Court-Ordered Settlement:
Context: This occurs in contemporary legal systems when an individual fails to comply with a court order, which can include the payment of a settlement or other court-mandated financial obligations.

Legal Basis: The principle here is the enforcement of court orders, not the punishment of debt. When a court issues an order, such as a settlement in a lawsuit, failure to comply can be considered contempt of court.

Consequences: Being found in contempt for not paying a court-ordered settlement can lead to various penalties, including fines and imprisonment. The imprisonment, in this case, is not for the debt itself but for the willful disobedience of a court order.

[marble falls]

74. We don't have debtors' prisons, but do we imprison people for contempt by ignoring a court order.

[angrychair]

80. He would not be jailed for the debt

But the refusal to pay the debt in violation of a court order.
It's not the inability to pay, it's the contempt for the judge's order.

[angrychair]

81. No, not debtors prison

But the refusal to pay the debt in violation of a court order.
It's not the inability to pay, it's the contempt for the judge's order.

And to be clear, he really doesn't have a choice. They will just garnish his wages and other assets.
Depending on state law in NY he will likely have to liquidate the vast majority of all his assets, which as I understood it, he has a lot of real estate investments, so that should help.

Unfortunately he has a lot of debt so it may take a judge to decide who gets paid first.

The sum of it all is that Giuliani will die penniless and that makes me happy.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

88. Because he wouldn't go to a debtor's prison

He would go to jail after a judge charged him with contempt of court if he refused to pay.

Big difference.

Do keep up.

[FarPoint]

12. I would love to see this enforced!

Pay up Rudy or he will be asking tRump to put money on his Books for Jail Commissary...hahaha

[COL Mustard]

34. The veggie loaf is outstanding

From what I’ve heard.

[IbogaProject]

31. He can be compelled to keep the plaintiffs notified about his assets and income

And if he fails to do that then more pain could come to him.

[TomSlick]

46. I'm skeptical.

Generally, a judgment debtor cannot be jailed for failure to pay. Child support is a little different but even then, the Court must be convinced the debtor can pay but refuses to do so.

To jail someone for failure to pay a judgment they cannot pay is a debtor's prison by any definition.

The question is what attachable assets does he have that can be found and executed upon.

[FakeNoose]

51. It won't happen as long as he's on appeal ...

... and we all know how long he'll keep that up. He'll die appealing this verdict, but once he's six feet under his assets will (and SHOULD) go the winners. So there's that.

[TomSlick]

53. An appeal has its own issues.

Generally, in order to stay execution of judgment during appeal, Ghouliani would be required to post a supersedeas bond for the amount of the judgments - which, of course, he cannot do.

Without a supersedeas bond, the judgment creditors can move forward with execution on assets while the appeal is pending.

[FakeNoose]

55. OK thank you for the clarification

That's actually awesome.

I'm pretty sure he's got hidden assets and offshore accounts because he misled his ex-wife's lawyers back when they were going through with their divorce a few years ago. But I really doubt he's got this kind of money ($100 million+) hidden away.

[Native]

73. This is music to my ears.

[moonshinegnomie]

40. usually it sup to the plantiffs to collect

they can probably force him into bankruptcy. depending on the state that would determine what assets he could keep. i know florida for example lets you keep you house no matter the value. other states dont.

[canetoad]

64. It's easy

[marble falls]

6. Bankrupt him and after his jail time from other courts, let him live in a senior citizen tower like the hoi paloi.

[Dulcinea]

83. Maybe he'll have to move in with his creepy son! nt

[marble falls]

84. That would be great. What if the son lived in his mother's basement? It would be a half hour sit-com ...

... Junior gets to move back upstairs to his old room and Rudy'd be in the basement. Call it "Rudy's in the Basement"

[FirefighterJo]

9. Good!

Now that one of the main minions of Fump got double of what was expected, there is hope. Hope that the Teflon on Fump is now thinner then thin. Btw, Fump in Belgium (Antwerpen to be exact means total loser )

[2naSalit]

10. The time of comeuppance...

Has arrived.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. This makes me smile

Link to tweet

[sarge43]

13. Double plus good.

The karma bus just ran over the ghoul.

[Sky Jewels]

14. HA HA! He "F.A.ed" and now he "F.O."

Suck it, Ghouliani!

[rurallib]

17. If he dies (he is in his 80s I think)

do the election workers get his estate? Can he protect it somehow?

[Prairie Gates]

37. Complicated estate law that's state to state

but generally speaking, those owed a judgment for a tort have priority over designated heirs. A little more complicated when it comes to other creditors, who can have priority in some cases depending on the time the debt was incurred. But the basic idea here is that that skunk son of his will not likely see much in the way of inheritance if Rudy kicks the bucket tomorrow. He probably has some stashed away in a trust, but any moves he made subsequent to the filing of this case can be clawed back by the court (to wit, his luxury Manhattan apartment will almost certainly go to creditors and the plaintiffs in this case).

[rurallib]

56. Thank you very much

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Good although he still hasn't paid his sanctions amount

[rurallib]

19. he still has alimony he ain't paid, doesn't he?

[BumRushDaShow]

22. I think he has been trying to sell properties

to take care of that and all the lawyers he hasn't paid for multiple things.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

18. Hopefully, this decision will alleviate some of the fear in our election workers.....

but so long as there's a Republican Party in the USA, they will need to remain vigilant.

....to Mmes. Freeman and Moss, the prosecution, witnesses, judge and jury.

[Think. Again.]

28. This.

[SouthernDem4ever]

20. According to the article, he's broke already

maybe Pootie Poot can help him pay it.

[cab67]

23. Even if he had the resources, he'd ignore the ruling.

These two amazingly brave women would have to spend years, and money the don't yet have, trying to seize his assets. Giuliani is just going to walk away and pretend this never happened.

That said - it's my understanding that punitive damages cannot be wiped away by bankruptcy. If true, then his victims really might be able to claim whatever he has.

[SouthernDem4ever]

76. If this was a normal situation with a normal defendant, he would have settled

Given them each 5 or 10 million, apologized and quit his bullshit. But this isn't a normal person who can keep his lies from vomiting out of his mouth. Now he's vomited himself into a corner where he is being sued from every angle by multiple sources. So his only defense left is to keep lying, hope the big fat orange bastard gets to take over the country and somehow bail him out.

[TlalocW]

21. Can it be appealed?

Or is this it?

[cab67]

24. he can appeal.

He can also claim bankruptcy, which would diminish real damages (as opposed to punitive damages). And he can walk away and pretend this never happened, forcing his victims to get the courts to enforce the ruling.

Giuliani will be long in the cold grave before this is done, and I highly doubt his beneficiaries will be in a generous mood.

[PSPS]

26. It can be appealed but only if the appellant posts a bond equal to the judgement.

[twodogsbarking]

30. Thanks. That gave me a chuckle. Maybe Mar a lago can be used for collateral.

[Demovictory9]

27. Wow

[twodogsbarking]

29. Trump will have a dinner for you and collect a lot of money. You won't see any of it.

[70sEraVet]

36. I was thinking that before the trial, tRump convinced Rudy to let him hold....

any money Rudy has, and tRump will hide it for him to keep it from being awarded in the judgement. Rudy is ... that ..... stupid.

[OverBurn]

32. I hope they get some actual money out of this. I hope mayor asshole dies broke.

[COL Mustard]

33. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA........

Karma is a bitch! I can’t stop smiling!!!!!

[IcyPeas]

35. Rudy and Alex

Alex $1.1 billion

Rudy $148 million

I thank the juries in these cases. They listened.

[Playingmantis]

38. Best news all day

Imprison Trump next!!

[chia]

39. This is the best news - made my day, week, month and year!

[PJMcK]

41. Every time I see that picture...

… I wonder who would take this man seriously. He’s a putz who has repeatedly made an ass of himself in public. The Borat movie, the Four Seasons Landscaping press conference, farting in court and his ridiculous behavior in this court case are but the latest examples of his long life of bullshit.

Who could take this loser seriously?! Trump? Yeah, only the best.

[Leith]

42. What the hell is wrong with bastards like Giuliani?

Alex Jones, too.

They know damn well that the people they are defaming are innocent and the ghouls attacked them anyway.

This kind of vicious behavior is not just obeying their orange jesus - they attack with such enthusiasm and enjoyment.

If I were one of their victims, I would go back to court to demand their money from those jackals (apologies to jackals and all other canines) . If he can't or won't cough up the money, I would request that he be held over for psychiatric evaluation and institutionalized.

Enough with rethug stochastic terrorism!

[moonshinegnomie]

43. i looked up what he can keep in bankruptcy in new york

180k in home equity
a car worth 5k
anything you chose up to $1175

[Hassler]

44. Rudy Jailiani to jurors: tell me what you really think.

And I'll see you in person at Four Seasons.

[Talitha]

65. "Rudy Jailiani"

[Evolve Dammit]

45. Cough it up, Big Boy Rudy Colludy. Hope you die in prison. If you slide, there is no justice.

[LudwigPastorius]

47. First comes the Big Lie.

Then the Big Judgement

Then the Big Bankruptcy

[smb]

49. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I am combining elements of Vincent Price from the "Thriller" video, Anthony Ainley as the Master, and Mark Hamill as the Joker to produce a laugh sufficient for this occasion.

[Novara]

50. SWEET!

[Quakerfriend]

52. I hope those two brave beautiful ladies get

something from Rudy.

He did legal work for Russian banks for decades-
He’s got to have all sort of $$$ hidden overseas.

Check those banks in Cyprus!!

[usonian]

54. I was hoping for more.

[republianmushroom]

57. That is a nice number, hope they see some of it.

[Mysterian]

58. Rudy is truly fucked

Despite all his idiotic talk trying to make himself sound like the victim.

[Kablooie]

59. Is there any way for them to get their money?

Isn't getting the settlement the legal responsibility of the receiver?
Since he has no wages to garnish, how can they get him to pay up?

[Elessar Zappa]

60. Can't the court order the confiscation of his money from his bank accounts eventually, if he refuses to pay?

I’m honestly not sure though.

[Kablooie]

70. Not if his bank accounts are on some Caribbean island.

As they probably are.
He could have people buy things for him here and some anonymous account from overseas reimburse them.
I've always wondered if anyone ever gets paid from these super rich guys that lose lawsuits.

[MichMan]

82. Doesn't seem like it...

Former Detroit mayor Kilpatrick owes the City of Detroit $1 million in restitution and has avoided paying it for quite a few years. Still seems to be living pretty well.

[SCantiGOP]

61. He'll drink himself to death in 6 months

Had he never gotten involved with Trump, he would be enjoying his retirement and thinking about his legacy.

[niyad]

62. Can they put a lien or attachment on everything he owns, including bank accounts?

Last edited Fri Dec 15, 2023, 11:15 PM - Edit history (2)

Can they put a lien on any future earnings or assets?

[Chi67]

66. Good!

BTW, this may have happened already, but has he been disbarred?

[ZonkerHarris]

67. Die broke Rudy.

[SKKY]

69. Rudy just entered the "find out" phase of life...

... schadenfreude is never a good look, but I certainly don't feel bad for him.

[pfitz59]

71. Can the payment be tied to Trump?

Rudy was Donnie's attorney at the time. Did he make these statements at the behest of his client? Can this judgment be linked to Trump? That would be sweet.

[Shermann]

72. Sometimes less is more I'm afraid

If it were "just" a few million, he might suck it up and try to pay it off over time. But 148 million is an insurmountable amount of debt meaning he will fight the settlement at every turn and do whatever it takes to hide whatever resources he has left.

[D23MIURG23]

75. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. n/t

[Zambero]

77. No need to worry Rudy

Your guy Donald will certainly step up and bail you out of this one!

[Justice matters.]

78. Mr. October Surprise gets the December Surprise he deserves...

Karma is an amazing thing!

[Qutzupalotl]

79. That'll buy a shit ton of ginger mints.

[GottaGoToMo]

85. He deserves every penny he has to pay.

Giuliani deserves every penny he has to pay. Maybe this will be the beginning of more of these types of suits against the mouths of Trump.

[Kennah]

86. SNL Update!

[Linda Ed]

87. Guiliani owes millions more

Giuliani stands to owe millions more if he loses cases brought by two voting machine companies and his own longtime personal attorney, and he faces an unrelated sexual harassment suit for $10 million from a former business associate.