In a significant development, a federal judge has held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit filed by two Georgia election workers. The workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea' ArShaye Moss, accused Giuliani of falsely accusing them of fraud while counting ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta during the 2020 election. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell entered a default judgment against Giuliani and ordered him to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers' fees.

The judge's ruling emphasized the importance of Giuliani fulfilling his duty as a defendant to provide requested information to the plaintiffs. However, Giuliani had ignored this obligation, prompting the judge to impose the punishment. This default judgment allows the case to proceed to trial in federal court in Washington to determine the damages Giuliani must pay.

In addition to the default judgment, Judge Howell also ordered Giuliani and his business entities to pay over $130,000 in attorneys' fees and other costs. The judge criticized Giuliani's attempts to portray himself as a victim, stating that such behavior only hindered the normal process of discovery in a defamation case.

Giuliani's political adviser, Ted Goodman, responded to the ruling, calling it an example of the weaponization of the justice system. He argued that Giuliani was wrongly accused of not preserving electronic evidence seized and held by the FBI.

Last month, Giuliani admitted to making false statements regarding the election workers' involvement in ballot fraud. However, he asserted that his statements were protected by the First Amendment.

This ruling against Giuliani marks a significant step in the defamation case brought by Freeman and Moss. As central figures in Trump's efforts to challenge the election results, Giuliani's false accusations had a severe impact on the reputation and lives of the two election workers.

The lawsuit filed by Freeman and Moss was among the first to be brought by individual election workers who found themselves caught up in the false claims of election fraud propagated by right-wing politicians and media figures. The two women had initially sued several defendants, including the One America News Network, but settled the case against everyone except Giuliani.

The false accusations against Freeman and Moss gained traction when Giuliani amplified them, leading to comparisons of the women to drug dealers. The repercussions extended beyond the court of public opinion, with former President Trump invoking Freeman's name during a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, urging him to “find” enough votes to change the election results in Georgia.

Freeman testified before the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot, expressing the devastating impact of being targeted by the President of the United States. The judge's ruling brings some measure of justice to Freeman and Moss, as they continue to seek redress for the damage caused by Giuliani's false allegations.