Georgia Election Workers Say Rudy Giuliani Hasn’t Paid $132,000 in Sanctions From Defamation Lawsuit
The lawsuit alleged that Giuliani falsely claimed Ruby Freeman and Wandrea' ArShaye Moss engaged in election fraud and mishandled ballots in the 2020 presidential election.
After finding Rudy Giuliani liable for defaming two Georgia election workers, a judge ordered the longtime Trump lawyer to pay them more than $132,000 in legal fees by September 20. They say they haven’t seen a penny of it, according to CNN.
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell issued a default judgment against Giuliani at the end of August after he failed to follow court orders directing him to turn over information to the plaintiffs, mother and daughter Ruby Freeman and Wandrea' ArShaye Moss.
The lawsuit alleged that Giuliani falsely claimed Freeman and Moss engaged in election fraud and mishandled ballots in the 2020 presidential election. The two said they received a slew of threats and vitriol following Giuliani's accusations.
As part of her judgment, Howell ordered Giuliani to pay sanctions to help the election workers recoup their legal costs. However, according to a September 21 court filing, Giuliani has failed to make any of the payments, with Freeman and Moss’ lawyers writing that now, the “plaintiffs are considering what further relief may be appropriate.”
The sanctions are unlikely to be the end of Giuliani's financial obligations related to the suit. The case is still set to go to trial to determine the amount of monetary damages Giuliani owes the pair.
Giuliani's failure to pay his legal bills reportedly extends beyond this case, as well. On September 18, his former attorneys filed suit against him, seeking more than $1.3M in unpaid legal fees.