After ruining the lives of two former Georgia election workers by repeatedly telling defamatory lies about them on national television, Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani was ordered to pay a $148 million judgment. Giuliani's first reaction to the judgment was to hold a press conference outside the courtroom and defame the women once again. He also said he intended to appeal the decision.
However, the federal judge in the case told Giuliani that he is going to have to pay the $148 million immediately, citing the former mayor of New York's reputation for being dishonest.
As reported in the Washington Post:
Judge Beryl A. Howell wrote that there is a strong danger Giuliani is likely to hide his assets from plaintiffs Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss and is unlikely to succeed in having last week's jury verdict overturned or cut down on appeal.
Attorneys for the two women still have to enforce the judgment against Giuliani, which may involve further court proceedings. But they do not have to wait the standard 30 days to begin trying to seize his assets.
"Giuliani has never denied that he has taken steps to hide his assets from judgment creditors, and has offered no affirmative pledge that he will take no steps to do so," Howell wrote.
Giuliani said he does not have enough money to pay the judgment. His lawyer said that the $43 million the two women asked for was "the civil equivalent of the death penalty" and "would be the end of Mr. Giuliani." As the Washington Post points out, "The jury's verdict was more than three times as much."
The 79-year-old Giuliani has more fun ahead. He was criminally charged in Georgia for allegedly attempting to subvert the election results there.
