Rudy Giuliani has failed to comply with a judge’s order to provide lawyers for two Georgia election officials with information that will allow them to collect costs in a defamation case. lawyers argue.
A federal judge ruled last month that Giuliani had defaulted and lost the case. Election officials Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss sued Giuliani in late 2021 over baseless claims that they were complicit in election fraud.
Federal Judge Beryl Howell ruled against Giuliani because he refused to provide evidence during discovery. The judge theorized that the loss may have been done strategically with the intention of withholding evidence that could be used in a criminal case.
“Perhaps he has calculated that his overall litigation risk will be minimized by not complying with his discovery obligations in this case,” Howell wrote last month. “Regardless of the reason, obligations vary from case to case, and there are consequences for withholding necessary discovery in this case.”
Mr. Giuliani was ordered to pay $90,000 in penalties and fees and his company was ordered to pay more than $40,000 in penalties and fees, but lawyers for election officials said they did not have the proper information needed to receive those fees. He claims he was never given any.
The total amount of damages awarded by the court will be determined at a public hearing on December 11th.
Giuliani has been in a string of legal and financial troubles, including the Georgia RICO case that charged former President Trump and 18 others (including Giuliani) with trying to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. facing.
The former New York mayor is also facing two other defamation lawsuits, both from election supply companies over allegations of election fraud.
He was sued this week by his former lawyers seeking $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees.
The Hill has reached out to Giuliani for comment.
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