Giuliani Faces Civil Contempt Over $148M Defamation Payout

Two Georgia election workers have requested a Manhattan judge to hold Rudy Giuliani in civil contempt for failing to turn over assets as part of a $148 million defamation award. This follows Giuliani's defamatory statements about the workers related to the 2020 election.

A federal judge in Manhattan will evaluate the plea from two Georgia election officials seeking to hold Rudy Giuliani in civil contempt for non-compliance, involving a defamation award of $148 million.

In 2021, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss accused Giuliani, the former advisor to Donald Trump, of defaming their characters by unjustly alleging their involvement in election fraud in favor of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential race. Having admitted to making defamatory remarks, Giuliani was ruled liable for defamation as an outcome of failing to furnish required electronic evidence.

A Washington jury subsequently demanded Giuliani compensate Freeman and Moss with $73 million in damages and an additional $75 million in punitive charges. Lawyers representing the election workers argue that Giuliani has not honored court orders to relinquish certain properties and assets. They urge the court to hold him in contempt, a significant diminishment for the former mayor, now tangled in multiple legal challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)