An attorney for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, had urged the eight-person jury to “send a message” with its verdict.

Rudy Giuliani should pay a pair of Georgia election workers he repeatedly and falsely accused of fraud $148 million in damages, a federal jury said Friday.

The eight-person jury awarded Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, the sum after a four-day trial, during which they testified that Giuliani’s lies in support of former President Donald Trump’s bogus stolen-election claims subjected them to a torrent of racist and violent threats and turned their lives upside down.

Freeman testified Wednesday that she was terrorized by Trump supporters and forced to move from her home because of Giuliani’s smears. “I was scared to come home at dark, you know,” a visibly emotional Freeman said on the witness stand. “I was just scared, I knew I had to move.”

  • Got_Bent@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Has Alex Jones paid out a penny yet?

    Will Rudy?

    These guys seem to be able to ignore these judgements with impunity.

    I am shocked that his attorney acknowledged wrongdoing. That’ll fuck any appeal attempts.

    • Hegar@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      Rudy probably can’t pay that anyway, he’s been in a bad way financially for a while now.

      • Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Rudy took a private plane to turn himself in in Georgia this summer. An article I read mentioned he has an apartment in Manhattan listed on the market for $6.1M. Now, I doubt he’s got $148M, but he’s not dead fucking broke like he’s trying to claim. At least not yet.

        • just_change_it@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          No you misunderstand, his nonprofit foundation was selling his manhattan apartment for 6.1m. He controls the foundation but that money can’t be taken away.

          I haven’t actually looked it up to see if he even owned the apartment he lived in, but there are many ways to shelter controlled assets in ways that minimize liability and tax burdens on the person who controls them. These mechanisms are a big part of the reason why rich people don’t pay taxes. Instead they donate their earnings or claim losses on stock transactions.

          If you donate a million dollars of your assets to your foundation while simultaneously earning a million dollars in cash from business dealings- how much tax do you pay? $0. Million in pocket, million dollar asset sheltered and still in your control. Your foundation control can be passed from generation to generation…

          Keep in mind his foundation can “employ” him and provide lodgings to him and other reasonable expenses (e.g. food, travel, lodging… you know… the things we all toil away to earn money and pay 30%+ taxes for.)

          • jopepa@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I hear about bad faith charities and foundations all of the time. It’s insane that this is just accepted and unchallenged.

    • WashedOver@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      You would have to wonder if he was a just a regular Joe blow fellow if he would be in jail in till he could pay?

      • plz1@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Debtors prisons are not something society should go back to. IIRC, this is a civil case, so, no jail. He should be in jail, but that isn’t in the cards until he’s convicted criminally.

        • yesman@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          If the money you owe is child support, debtors prisons are a thing right now. Also, during the hearing where the judge decides to put you in jail, you’ve no right to an attorney.

          Of course this is more expensive than just giving benefits to single mothers, and children gain no advantage by having fathers in jail, but cruelty is the point.

      • Got_Bent@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        No. Genuinely poor people are what the legal world refers to as judgment proof. Best you can do is garnish wages, which I doubt Rudy has any. You can also put a lien on property, but if they don’t have any, you get nothing.

    • Maruki_Hurakami@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Alex filed for bankruptcy, so he hasn’t paid anything yet. The families recently said they’d settle for 6% but I haven’t seen anything since.

      • Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        He filed for bankruptcy but last I heard the bankruptcy court found his judgement in the Sandy Hook case couldn’t be discharged through bankruptcy. So he still owes. It’ll just be a long drawn out affair to chase down his hidden assets.

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      No Jones declared bankruptcy and Infowars is on the chopping block to get liquidated, after that they’ll go back to court to seek liquidation of his personal assets, homes, cars, watches Etc.

          • Aniki 🌱🌿@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Jones was in default before the trial even started. He’s been found liable for a billion dollars. He hasn’t paid a penny.

            How long is it going to take? He’s still on the air. He’s still making money. He’s still pedaling bullshit vitamins.

            Nothing. Has.Changed.