Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani lost a defamation lawsuit by default Wednesday in Washington, D.C. In a 57-page ruling, United States District Judge Beryl Howell shredded Giuliani for not producing evidence in the case filed by election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. She then ordered a default and the payment of the plaintiffs’ attorneys fees totaling tens of thousands of dollars as well as punitive damages.
Giuliani insisted that his failure was due to the fact that the government seized all of his files in an earlier raid. That clearly did not convince Judge Howell. The court ordered trial proceedings solely on the amount of damages.
The fact is that the lawsuit was quite strong on the merits, so the default may not have altered the outcome. Freeman and Moss were called out publicly by Trump and others as engaged in voting fraud. There was no such evidence but Freeman and Moss were relentlessly attacked and abused. These were not opinions, but false factual allegations made against them after the election.
It was clear that Giuliani was not seriously contesting the claims given a two-page statement filed earlier in the case. He stated that he “does not contest” that his statements were “false” and “carry meaning that is defamatory.”
The lawsuit is an important victory for those who find themselves pulled into the vortex of this age of rage. These were workers who were suddenly placed into the national spotlight and found their lives disrupted by what were clearly false allegations.
I watched the film, somethings were hard to make out. I have never heard what was in the suitcases. The ones that were pulled from under the table after the poll watchers left. It is highly likely that – based on pictures of the two women – the the missive suitcases were snacks or dinner. What was in them?
The fact that Ruby, her daughter and others continued counting votes after sending everyone home because of a supposed “water leak” is in itself illegal under Georgia law. No votes can be counted without poll watchers being present. Biden received a 17,000 vote bump shortly thereafter.
Jonathan: Looks like you are getting pushback from some of your loyal followers who can’t handle the truth. That RG defamed Ruby Freeman and her sister by making false claims about how they counted the votes in Fulton County. Ralph de Minimis tries to put words in your mouth: “I THINK what Professor Turley MEANS to say is that ‘There is no such evidence PRODUCED BY GIULIANI, not that there was no such evidence”. Then Ralph repeats the spurious claims by RG and DJT that Freeman and Moss were engaged in “repeatedly running the SAME stacks of ballots through the counting machine(s)”, etc., etc.. All the false claims that were investigated by election officials and disproven. Ralph forgets that if Giuliani thought he had proof of his false claims about Freeman and Moss why did he file a “Stipulation” in their defamation case admitting his claims were false? Because there was no “such evidence”.
Ralph calls your admission of the truth about RG’s false claims”bizarre” and “delusional”. Seems Ralph can’t handle the TRUTH so he regurgitates all the LIES about Ruby and her sister. So, in what is rare for me, you have my back on this one. I can’t wait for the Fani Willis case against RG, et. al. to go to trial when all of RG’s lies about Freeman and Moss will be exposed on live TV. I just hope Ralph will be tuning in!
Jonathan:
I may very well post this in every single column for a few days. I hope you will oblige. But I fear your readership deserves to know.
I have been coming on this blog for some time now, and consitently copying and pasting the copyrighted intellectual property of others, pretty much word for word, without giving any credit to the source. I have presented these thoughts as if they were my own, including quotes from third parties who did not speak to me directly. Since I am a paid troll, obviously I am infringing on copyright law, aside from the immorality of it.
Furthermore, I stole most of these writings from sources that most here would consider, well lets just say unreliable. To use the correct word would violate the terms of service that I love to crow about. I wouldn’t want to disrupt the intellectual discourse that I claim to want to preserve, but never engage in. Instead, I just drop in, call some people racists without basis or explanation, and waltz out like I am not in violation of the civility rules myself.
The self righteous virtue signaling I do is the only original thought I have posted here in months. EVERYTHING else is someone else’s.
I offer my sincere apologies for my keyboard diarrhea, lifted from Vox, Salon, Media-ite, Huff Post, and Teen Vogue. But, you can probably count on more of the same in the future. I will just have to change a few more words, so that pain-in-the-a$$ Tom guy can’t find it in 30 seconds.
PS….I could adopt the posture of Joe Biden, and have my poor press secratary (yes, I have one, who do you thinks finds all this stuuf for me?) or Gigi, come out and lie for me in the face of insurmountable evidence, but it seems Tom has me dead to rights.
Thanks for your time and now for the important stuff:
There’s a red under my bed
And there’s a little ORANGE man in my head
And he said, “You’re not going crazy, you’re just a bit sad
‘Cause there’s a man in ya, gnawing ya, tearing ya into two
Dennis Mcintyre says:
Thomas A SWINNEY: Know what is sad? Real sad. The number of white people on this blog who refuse to recognize their own racism. So they hide behind attempted humor to hide their racism. Anonymous (the lesser) tried to do that with his racist attack against Fani Willis. And you got it wrong. It wasn’t a statement by Willis. It was words Anonymous tried to put in the mouth of DJT when he has to face an intelligent Black woman in the courtroom for the first time. No one should be fouled by Anonymous’s racist slur. But do tell me the difference between “raciAL, and raciST and raciSM”. That is a distinction without a difference! If you make a “racial” slur that’s racism and you are a racist!
It’s pretty apparent now why you typically choose to just drop in, spread your plagiarized keyboard diarrhea, and leave. When you actually try to engage someone, it’s pretty sad.
You called this guy out as a racist.
So we’re not all “fooled”, why dont you explain exactly how this joke was racist. We’re waiting Dennis.
Jonathan: Didn’t think you had it in you–to actually concede Rudy Giuliani was liable as charged in the defamation lawsuit brought by Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss–the slanders, the death threats that forced them to flee their homes. Rudy brought the whole thing on himself. Trying to hide his assets he refused to comply Judge Beryl Howell’s discovery deadlines to provide his financials -coming up with all sorts of lame excuses. So now he faces a trial where the only issue for the jury is the amount of actual and punitive damages. The punitives alone could be in the millions.
The really big Q is how the hero of 9/11 could descend so far down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and tie himself so closely to DJT. After the death of Roy Cohn, DJT found a clone in Rudy–a pugnacious and combative lawyer who liked the limelight. RG apparently saw his role as DJT’s personal attorney as a way to gain public recognition. So DJT drew Rudy into his orbit and that’s when things went south for Rudy. He is now liable for defaming Ruby Freeman and her sister as well as being a named co-defendant in Fani Willis’s sprawling RICO case. Some feel sorry for Rudy’s demise. I’m not one of those. He is well deserving of everything he faces!
I was about to applaud you for your forthright recognition of RG’s culpability in defaming Ruby Freeman and her sister–until I read the last sentence of you column where you say they “find themselves pulled into the vortex of this age of rage”. The “age of rage” did not come down from some alien space ship. It was created by DJT. He is the one who started the vicious campaign against Ruby and her sister in that infamous phone call with Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2. Rudy simply provided an echo chamber for DJT false claims. DJT should have been in the dock along with RG for defaming Ruby and her sister. If I were RG I would tell DHT: “Mr. President, I was just following your orders so help me pay the judgment”. Good luck with that one, Rudy!
“…an intelligent black woman in the courtroom for the first time.”—-Dennis McIntyre
Hey Dennis, racial or racist?
Someone please post the photo of the woman screaming “Noooooo!!” at Trumps inauguration so Dennis can see the alien spaceship that the “age of rage” came in on.
Didnt think you had it in you to answer for your hate filled remarks.
There seems to be more here than meets the eye. It looks like this DC judge is giving Giuliani’s legal arguments short shrift, and he thinks he will be treated better on appeal.
He is “expressly reserving “his arguments that the statements complained of are protected and non-actionable opinion for purposes of appeal[,]” Giuliani Superseding Stip. ¶¶ 5-6, which arguments were previously rejected in this Court’s decision denying defendant’s motion to dismiss,”. The judge described the stipulations as Swiss Cheese. Giuliani is clearly trying to admit to what he can to avoid discovery but preserve issues on appeal.
So, he is not admitting liability. He is trapped in a liberal lawfare nightmare. He is being criminally charged. The civil case should take a backseat. In CA we call it a Pacers stay. This DC judge is clearly being vindictive. The process is the punishment.
tommylotto: I think you need to re-read Judge Howell’s order. RG refused to provide his financials and other docs required as part of discovery. Back in July Howell ordered RG and his attorney to appear before her and explain why he had failed to comply with discovery and why he had not paid the $90,000 in sanctions for his failure to comply. RG continued to resist. Why? Because he knew he would be found liable at trial and didn’t want to disclose his financials that would form the basis of punitive damages. Finally, RG filed a “Stipulation” where he wanted to have it both ways. He would admit to liability at trial but would contest liability on appeal. In a “Stipulation” you can’t have it both ways. A “Stipulation” is an admission of liability for all purposes. So after a month of further refusals by RG, trying to deflate his net worth, Judge Howell issued her final order.
RG was not “trapped in a liberal lawfare nightmare” and RG was was not being “criminally charged”. This was a CIVIL defamation lawsuit and any judge, whether liberal or conservative, would do the same. You can’t ignore discovery requirements with lame excuses that amounted to “my dog ate the docs”. You will be sanctioned if you refuse to comply with discovery. The only issue for the jury will be the amount of punitives. That’s not “vindictive” but the way civil litigation works. No doubt RG will appeal any jury verdict. But see how far RG gets in claiming he did not admit to liability in his “Stipulation”—and then get back to me.
“and then get back to me.”
This from the blowhard plagiarist who never gets back to anyone after his lies have been nuked.
“…an intelligent black woman in the courtroom for the first time.”—-Dennis McIntyre
Hey Dennis, racial or racist?
I asked Bill to contact the UN. I asked him to ask them to send in more Peacekeepers And to announce to those perpetrating the genocide, that we as a nation, and the entire world community, will hunt down and hold accountable to the fullest extent of the law, everyone who is guilty of that bloodbath.
Bill went to great lengths to try to convince us that he didn’t know it was a genocide unfolding there. Why? Because a genocide would force him, legally, to call the UN to ask for more Peacekeepers. That is how foul that monster is.
Libs, you pursue Trump with all your hearts. What a sick, sad, pathetic joke that you gave slick a Hitleresque pass to murder en masse.
tRump will spend the rest of life either in a prison or in an appeals courtroom.
And why are you whining here instead of trying to convince the DOJ to pursue Clinton if you think he acted illegally? Whining here does nothing.
“Freeman and Moss were called out publicly by Trump and others as engaged in voting fraud. There was no such evidence but Freeman and Moss were relentlessly attacked and abused.”
I THINK what Professor Turley MEANS to say is that “There was no such evidence PRODUCED BY GIULIANI,” not that there was no such evidence.
As Giuliani appears to have stated, he could not produce the evidence because the FBI confiscated his files. That’s hardly the same thing as Turley’s unsupported assertion that “There was no such evidence.”
My expectation is that “Trump and others” were basing their accusations of voting fraud (1) partly on the FACT that REPUBLICAN poll workers were FRAUDULENTLY sent home due to an ALLEGED water main break (at a distant location in the building), while DEMOCRAT poll workers stayed and continued to “count” ballots, including suitcases filled with ballots that were seen on video surveillance being pulled out from under tables after REPUBLICAN poll workers were sent home, and (2) partly based upon recorded videos of Freeman and/or Moss repeatedly running the SAME stacks of ballots through the counting machine(s), AGAIN after republican poll workers had been sent home on a fraudulent claim that vote counting was concluded for the night.
Professor Turley’s bizarre recitation of the alleged facts of the case appears to bears ZERO resemblance to the actual facts of the case, and is one of the most disgraceful renditions of alleged reality I’ve read at this website in the last 7 years — even more disgraceful than the Professor’s delusional support for his former law student and then-future convicted multiple felon, Michael Avenatti, better known to many as “Creepy Porn Lawyer.”
“As Giuliani appears to have stated, he could not produce the evidence because the FBI confiscated his files.”
I don’t know about this case, but years ago when James O’Keefe was investigating the Democrat senator from Louisiana his videos that would prove what happened and him innocent were missing.
I only disagreement is the amount of evidence available is much much greater than referenced.
You are on point but remember Turley is an old school democrat not a crazy democrat but never the less a democrat 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Here is Donald Trump’s response to all of the attacks on his friends and allies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMM2042bLzQ
Perspicacious Americans have discovered that the race for President is actually a simple choice between American Principles or the Despotic Deep State Autocracy.
Enigmainblackcom above argues that the Black Panthers did good work because they gave breakfast to kids??? I guess Hamas is a group of good guys too. Let’s not forget the mob because they gave out turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It isn’t bad enough that we have to suffer through 200 “Anonymous” comments a day but now we get this new person who hates, hates, hates Turley and yet is starting to live on his site????
Enigma, if you and “Anoymous” think Turley is such a bad guy, so wrong about his views, so opposed to your world view then why do you spend your whole day here? I certainly don’t watch Rachel Maddow or the View, I don’t read the NY Times any longer either and the reason is I don’t believe in banging my head against the wall daily.
So here is a hint, if you are arguing that the Black Panther Party was a benign, positive force in our culture then you probably aren’t smart enough or centered enough to understand the writings of Professor Turley. Or you may be smart enough, but you are too radical to have a rational conversation. As for “Anonymous”, if you aren’t smart enough to grasp the clarity of Professor Turley’s writings and see his fairness then you too should probably leave. Or maybe you too are too radical for common sense discussion.
People like Enigmainblackcom and “Anonymous” are what I call classroom smart (maybe). They can discuss all issues with their radical professors, the ones that have never actually worked outside of their fiefdom. They can muscle through a book by Marx or a treatise by some pony-tailed blackboard tyrant that sells his books by having them be mandatory reading in their own classroom, but they can’t succeed in the real world. They are like the kid at MIT that can build a combustible engine with a rope and egg and a battery but they can’t change a flat tire.
Please don’t put down Enigma. I always like to hear his opinion. But not for the reason he’d like to hear. Enimga is the Eddie Mush of politics and law. Don’t know who Eddie Mush is?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ulWjFfLsL0
With uncanny precision, Enigma is always wrong.
Hitler loved dogs. https://www.dw.com/en/hitlers-dogs-g%C3%B6rings-lions-how-the-nazis-used-and-abused-animals/a-53698708