Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, has conceded in a recent court filing that he made false statements about two Georgia election workers. The statements in question were made during the 2020 election and accused the workers of mishandling ballots.
The two election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who happen to be mother and daughter, filed a defamation lawsuit against Giuliani in the federal court in Washington, D.C. in 2021. The lawsuit sought to address the impact of Giuliani’s accusations on their reputations and sought justice for the false claims.
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In the latest court filings for this case, Rudy Giuliani has backtracked on his previous statements. While he does not outright admit to the allegations made by the plaintiffs, he does not contest the factual allegations for the purpose of this litigation.
In a declaration signed by Rudy Giuliani, he acknowledges that his statements carried a defamatory meaning and were indeed false. He recognizes that these statements are actionable and is willing to address the consequences of his words.
At the same time, Giuliani asserts that he believes he has legal defenses against the lawsuit and wants to avoid unnecessary expenses in litigation. He believes his statements were constitutionally protected.
As of now, Rudy Giuliani’s attorney has not responded to the recent developments in the case. However, a Giuliani adviser, Ted Goodman, stated to The Guardian that the recent filings were made to move the case past the discovery phase and onto the legal arguments.
This development marks a significant turn in the ongoing legal battle between Rudy Giuliani and the Georgia election workers. It remains to be seen how the case will progress further and what implications this concession will have on the overall proceedings.
Backstory about the Rudy Giuliani Case
Rudy Giuliani, the former attorney for ex-President Donald Trump, faced allegations of promoting a video that allegedly showed two women manipulating ballots during the 2020 election at the State Farm Arena for the Fulton County Board of Elections. Trump, after his election loss, also accused these women of influencing the election’s outcome.
In a leaked phone call before the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection, Trump repeatedly berated Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state’s election results, mentioning one of the women, Ruby Freeman, 18 times during the conversation.
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As a result, Trump is now under criminal investigation in Fulton County, Georgia, for his and his allies’ efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. This investigation stemmed from the public disclosure of the phone call with Raffensperger.
Furthermore, Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, were targeted with conspiracy theories propagated by Trump and his allies. The situation escalated to the point where the women received racist death threats, prompting them to hide their identities for safety reasons. Moss, who had been employed by the Fulton County Elections Department since 2017, was ultimately forced to leave her job due to the overwhelming threats.
Among the false accusations made by Rudy Giuliani was the claim that Moss handed her mother a thumb drive resembling vials of illegal substances. In reality, Moss testified before Congress that her mother had simply handed her a ginger mint.
These troubling events shed light on the impact of baseless claims and the harm they can inflict on innocent individuals. The situation has escalated to a point where legal action and investigations are underway to address the accusations and their consequences.
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