Main Facts
A jury has ruled that Rudy Giuliani must pay more than $148 million in damages to Georgia election workers who sued him for spreading the false conspiracy theory linking them to election fraud. The amounts demanded include over $32 million for defamation, $40 million for emotional distress, and $75 million in punitive damages.
Giuliani earns about $400,000 annually from his radio show, in addition to some income from his podcast and livestream, which is still not enough to cover his debts exacerbated by numerous legal troubles.
In addition to the damages he owes to Georgia election workers, federal judge Beryl Howell ordered Giuliani to pay over $130,000 in attorney fees in the case after he failed to produce evidence. Giuliani’s attorney argued that he cannot afford to pay the fees on time due to “financial difficulties.”
Giuliani’s electronic devices were seized by federal investigators in a separate probe in April 2021, with the legal representative stating that this has led him to incur high fees from vendor, TrustPoint, which hosts the data from the seized devices. His lawyers said in August that Giuliani has “limited financial resources” and “cannot afford” TrustPoint fees ranging from $15,000 to $23,000 for delivering evidence in a defamation case against the polling company Smartmatic.
Giuliani’s former attorney, Robert Costello, sued him in September for failing to pay nearly $1.4 million in legal fees, with Giuliani arguing that this amount is “far more than any legitimate fees.” Several attorneys have requested the court to allow them to withdraw their representation in his case in Fulton County, Georgia, regarding his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, although they did not directly cite his financial problems.
In addition to his legal issues, Giuliani owes $549,435.26 in unpaid taxes for 2021, and multiple media outlets reported in October that the IRS placed a lien on his property in Palm Beach, Florida; Giuliani’s consulting firm, Giuliani Partners LLC, defaulted on a phone bill and was ordered to pay $57,655 at the end of July; and Giuliani was held in contempt last year for failing to make payments to his ex-wife.
Key Quote
Giuliani’s attorney, Joe Sibile, stated at the beginning of the public session of the defamation trial on Monday that imposing hefty damages on his client would be “equivalent to a civil death penalty.” Forcing the attorney to pay millions to Georgia election workers would be “the end of Mr. Giuliani,” according to Sibile.
Big Number
$6.1 million. That is the asking price for Giuliani’s three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, according to a listing from Sotheby’s International Realty – down from the original $6.5 million when it was first put on the market in July.
Main Criticism
Giuliani has maintained his innocence in the charges against him, until he was found liable for defamation in the Georgia election workers case – and the trial was solely to determine the amount he must pay in damages – and he admitted before the trial that he had made defamatory claims. Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, told Forbes in July that this case was “part of a broader effort to smear and silence Mayor Giuliani because he dared to ask questions and challenge the accepted narrative,” and Giuliani was criticized by the judge and his own attorney for making fraud accusations against Freeman and Moss to reporters during the trial. After the verdict was issued on Friday, Giuliani told reporters, “I regret nothing.” Goodman told Forbes regarding Giuliani’s unpaid tax reports that the attorney “through his accountant, has a formal agreement with the IRS to pay off his financial obligations.”
What
It Must Be Monitored
Thirteen charges have been filed against Giuliani in Fulton County, Georgia, due to his role in attempting to alter the election results, making him one of a total of 19 defendants in the case, including Trump. The attorney has proclaimed his innocence regarding the charges against him, and no trial date for his case has been set yet. Giuliani has also been identified as a “co-conspirator” in the Justice Department investigation into the election’s aftermath, although he has not been formally charged in that case – even though additional allegations cannot be ruled out. In addition to the Georgia election workers case, Giuliani is also being sued for defamation by Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems. These cases are still under review and are likely not to go to trial until late 2024 or 2025.
Main Background
Giuliani served as Trump’s personal attorney before leading his post-election legal campaign, which ultimately failed and resulted in only one minor victory. The attorney represented Trump directly in court in only one case in Pennsylvania – which failed – and was also involved in other efforts to change the results that prosecutors now claim were illegal, such as pressuring state lawmakers to reject their states’ results. Trump severed ties with Giuliani in mid-February 2021 when the attorney began facing legal repercussions for his post-election efforts, and Jason Miller, Trump’s advisor at the time, stated that Giuliani does not currently represent Trump in “any legal matters.” Giuliani’s legal licenses in New York and Washington, D.C. were suspended due to his assistance to Trump, and he faces the threat of disbarment. Giuliani is one of several Trump-aligned attorneys now facing consequences for their post-election activities and has been charged in Fulton County, including Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, and Jeffrey Clark. (Settlements have been reached with Chesebro, Powell, and Ellis.)
Further Reading
Giuliani Must Pay $148 Million In Damages For Defaming Georgia Election Workers
I.R.S. Puts Lien on Giuliani’s Palm Beach Condo for $550,000 Tax Debt
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