Federal Judge Beryl Howell has granted a request from former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss to speed up the process of enforcing a $148 million ruling recently issued by a jury in a defamation case the mother and daughter brought against Rudy Giuliani. Freeman and Moss sued the Trump ally for his role in spreading documented lies about their supposed involvement in wide-ranging election fraud.
Ahead of trial, Howell held Giuliani liable for their claims after he failed to comply with obligations in the discovery process, which is the routine period before trial in which case-related materials are shared by parties to proceedings. Freeman and Moss expressed concerns about their opportunities to basically collect on the judgment eventually reached in their favor by the jury, seeking the immediate opportunity from Howell to bring it forth in other judicial jurisdictions where Giuliani has assets. They cited examples including evident financial holdings in New York and a condo he originally purchased with a former wife but now solely owns that’s located in Florida and was the subject of a reported tax lien originating with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“In circumstances such as those presented by the record in this case, there is nothing “abnormal” about plaintiffs’ request. To the contrary, as discussed in more detail below, plaintiffs’ request to dissolve the otherwise automatic 30-day stay of enforcement of the judgment is both appropriate and warranted,” Howell ruled on Wednesday. The month-long hold and evidently accompanying delay in the opportunity to seek restitution in other jurisdictions are routine judicial process.
Freeman and Moss cited concerns including Giuliani’s history of brushing off financial obligations in court and his other mounting financial obligations. He remains the subject of defamation litigation from two election tech companies named in conspiracy theories after the last presidential race, and he was also sued by a former lawyer for supposedly unpaid legal fees flying past $1 million. (The originally claimed amount was $1.36 million.)
