Key takeaways:
- U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell found Rudy Giuliani legally liable for defaming two Georgia election workers.
- Judge Howell admonished Giuliani’s failure to turn over the documents as “willful discovery misconduct.”
- The judge ordered Giuliani to pay the election workers “punitive” damages for failing to fulfill his obligations.
A federal judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani must pay punitive damages to two Georgia election workers after he failed to turn over discovery documents in a civil lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell found Giuliani legally liable for defaming Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the mother-daughter duo, who were targeted and threatened due to conspiracy theories spread by Trump allies claiming they tampered with ballots during the 2020 election.
In her lengthy opinion, Judge Howell said Giuliani violated orders to preserve and produce relevant evidence relating to the case. She also admonished Giuliani’s failure to turn over the documents as “willful discovery misconduct.”
“Perhaps, he has made the calculation that his overall litigation risks are minimized by not complying with his discovery obligations in this case,” the judge wrote. “Whatever the reason, obligations are case specific and withholding required discovery in this case has consequences.”
The judge ordered Giuliani to pay the election workers “punitive” damages for failing to fulfill his obligations. This ruling comes after Giuliani forfeited the defamation lawsuit that was brought against him by the two Georgia election workers.
The ruling serves as a reminder that taking shortcuts to win an election carries risks. Giuliani’s failure to turn over the documents has resulted in a costly consequence for him.
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