Giuliani Reaches Settlement With Ex-Georgia Election Workers in Defamation Case

The agreement allows him to keep his Florida condo, New York coop apartment, and personal belongings.

NEW YORK CITY—Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has settled with the former Georgia election workers who successfully sued him for defamation and have been seeking to satisfy the judgment in federal court, both sides said on Jan. 16.

In a statement posted to social media, Giuliani said the settlement allowed him to maintain his New York coop apartment, Florida condo, and all of his personal belongings while resulting in “satisfaction of the plaintiffs’ judgment.”

He said that the “resolution does not involve an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any of the parties.”

A jury in Washington in December 2023 awarded the two workers—Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and Ruby Freeman—nearly $150 million in their defamation case against Giuliani.

They later sued Giuliani in the Southern District of New York and sought control of his assets to satisfy the judgment in the Washington case.

In a statement, the women called the day a “major milestone” and the “last four years have been a living nightmare.”

They said that they “agreed to allow Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us.”

Giuliani was set to be the first witness but wasn’t present when the trial was scheduled to start.

His attorney, Joseph Cammarata, was present with his son, Andrew, outside the courthouse. Giuliani’s son said he was “so proud” of his father.

“To see what he’s been put through over the last four years … to see on a daily basis just how he’s persevered, I couldn’t be any more proud of him as I am right now,” Andrew Giuliani said.

Giuliani’s son said he would retain possession of the World Series rings that were part of the lawsuit.

They made the comments outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse on the same day that a bench trial in the case was scheduled to begin.

Attorneys could be seen entering and exiting the courtroom, and the trial was ultimately adjourned until Jan. 21. A joint letter from Giuliani’s attorney and the plaintiffs’ Aaron Nathan asked the court to adjourn that date as well.

The letter told Southern District of New York Judge Lewis Liman that the parties had “executed a settlement agreement … that, once certain conditions are met, would fully resolve all issues currently scheduled for trial.”

It also requested Liman reschedule a contempt hearing for on or after Feb. 25, 2025 “to permit the parties to fully implement the agreement.”

The joint letter said the agreement “would result in the conclusion of all litigation currently pending between and among the parties.”

Giuliani was found in contempt in the case in early January.

Following the parties’ joint letter, Liman issued an order adjourning the trial and contempt hearing until March 3.

The lawsuit centered on Giuliani’s statements about the workers during the 2020 presidential election.

A former Trump 2020 campaign adviser, Giuliani has been disbarred in Washington and New York over his reaction to the election.

Freeman and Moss were captured in a video clip that became widely circulated, showing them packing up ballot boxes in suitcases. They later explained that was how they moved equipment around and had done so in previous elections.

They were investigated by the Georgia Elections Board, which stated claims against them were “false and unsubstantiated.”

The Associated Press and Catherine Yang contributed to this report.

 

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