Rudy Giuliani, on the hook for $148m in damages against election workers he lied about, twice held in contempt of court, took the easy way out Thursday: he settled with them. Giuliani's attempts to avoid consequences had led to an impending third trial that might have stripped him of something he can't hide: his home.
"The past four years have been a living nightmare. We have fought to clear our names, restore our reputations, and prove that we did nothing wrong," Freeman and Moss said in a statement. "Today is a major milestone in our journey. We have reached an agreement and we can now move forward with our lives. We have agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us."
Giuliani said in a post on X on Thursday that he would be keeping all of his "personal belongings" the Georgia election workers have pursued or won, and that he would also keep his New York City apartment and Florida oceanside condo.
Legal experts insisted there would be nothing Trump could do to help Giuliani, short of paying the judgment, but the timing speaks for itself: his inauguration is in two working days. So they're getting what they can from him before things get unpredictable. Giuliani is already on social media with a statement: "I have been able to retain my New York coop and Florida Condominium and all of my personal belongings."
You can read the settlement filing.
Previously:
• Rudy Giuliani held in contempt for second time in week
• Rudy Giuliani ordered to surrender luxury NYC apartment to his defamation victims
• Furious judge threatens Giuliani with contempt over $148M judgment stalling