Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and an ally of former President Donald Trump, has been ordered to pay a substantial sum of $148,169,000 in a defamation case Friday.

The case revolved around false accusations he made against two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, alleging their involvement in election fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

This ruling, determined by a federal court in Washington, D.C., is a significant marker in the ongoing narrative of the 2020 election’s aftermath.

The judgment against Giuliani, who also served as Trump’s personal lawyer, stems from his promotion of the unverified claims that the 2020 election was fraudulently taken from Trump.

The accusations against Freeman and Moss were a part of this broader campaign. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell had previously awarded a default judgment to Freeman and Moss back in August, leading to this recent determination of the financial penalty.

In addition to the multi-million dollar defamation payout, Giuliani is also required to cover legal fees for Moss and Freeman, approximately amounting to $270,000.

Speaking outside the courthouse, Moss articulated the profound impact Giuliani’s false claims had on her and her mother’s lives. She described the experience as “devastating.”

“The flame that Giuliani lit with those lies and passed to so many others to keep that flame blazing changed every aspect of our lives, our home family, our work, our sense of safety and mental health,” Moss said. “And we’re still working to rebuild as we move forward and continue to seek justice.”

“Our greatest wish is that no one, no election worker or voter or school board member or anyone else ever experiences anything like what we went through,” she continued.

Despite the weight of the court’s decision, Giuliani remains defiant. He announced plans to appeal the ruling, dismissing the amount as absurd and criticizing the proceedings for not allowing him to present any defense evidence.

“The absurdity of the number merely underscores the absurdity of the entire proceeding, where I’ve not been allowed to offer one single piece of evidence in defense,of which I have a lot,” Giuliani said.

“So I am quite confident when this case gets before a fair tribunal, it will be reversed so quickly, it’ll make your head spin and the absurd number that just came in will help that, actually,” he added.

The trial’s primary objective was to ascertain the amount Giuliani would owe Freeman and Moss in damages.

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