Rudy Giuliani Admits To False Accusations Against Georgia Election Workers

Zinger Key Points
  • Giuliani admits making false statements about election workers Freeman and Moss in a defamation lawsuit.
  • Despite admitting falsehoods, Giuliani argues his statements were constitutionally protected under the First Amendment.

Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday conceded that he made false statements about two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

What Happened: Guiliani's admission came as part of a defamation lawsuit that Freeman and Moss filed against the lawyer in Federal District Court in Washington back in December 2021.

Freeman and Moss, a mother-daughter duo working for the Fulton County Board of Elections, had been accused by Giuliani — while acting as a lawyer for then President Donald Trump — of mishandling ballots during the 2020 election vote count in Atlanta.

Giuliani previously promoted a video suggesting that the women manipulated ballots while working at the State Farm Arena.

However, the lawyer recently admitted in a court filing that his statements about Freeman and Moss were “actionable,” “false,” and carried a “defamatory per se” meaning, according to The New York Times.

Still, Giuliani insists that his accusations were “constitutionally protected” under the First Amendment and denies that his statements caused any damage to the women.

Read also: Biden’s Lead Over Trump, DeSantis Grows In Latest 2024 White House Poll: What Would Happen If Election Were Held Today?

Why It Matters: The admission was made in an effort to move past the discovery phase of the lawsuit, the Times reported, which had been financially burdensome for Giuliani. Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, suggested that the move aimed to speed up the case to the point where a dismissal motion could be filed.

However, the concession doesn’t immediately resolve the case against Giuliani.

Michael Gottlieb, the lawyer representing Freeman and Moss, said that Giuliani’s concession affirms his clients “honorably performed their civic duties in the 2020 presidential election in full compliance with the law.” He also stressed that the election fraud allegations against them, promoted by Giuliani and Trump, have been “false since Day 1,” the Times reported.

The lawsuit by Freeman and Moss is among the first lodged by individual election workers caught in the storm of unfounded claims of election fraud by politicians and media figures.

And, despite the concession in the Freeman/Moss lawsuit, Giuliani faces other legal problems.

A legal ethics committee in Washington suggested that he should be disbarred for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, and there are ongoing investigations into his activities, including a probe by the district attorney in Fulton County into attempts to reverse Trump’s 2020 loss in Georgia.

Read next: RFK Jr Tears Into Biden, Says Decisions ‘Coming Out Of White House’ Are Bad

Photo: Shutterstock

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: GovernmentNewsPoliticsTopicsGeneral2020 presidential electionDonald TrumpGeorgiaRuby FreemanRudy GuilianiShaye Moss
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!