Rudy Giuliani to appear in court over defamation of 2020 election workers

Georgians are seeking $15m-$43m in damages from former New York City mayor for his false statements about ballot counts

Rudy Giuliani will begin defending himself on Monday in a Washington DC federal courtroom as part of a defamation lawsuit seeking to force him to pay tens of millions of dollars in damages to plaintiffs after making inflammatory false statements about them in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

Giuliani has already conceded he made defamatory statements about Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, two Black election workers in Fulton county who said they faced death threats because of his claims. US district judge Beryl Howell, who is overseeing the case, has already found him liable for defamation, so the week-long jury trial will focus on what penalty he should have to pay. Freeman and Moss are seeking between $15m and $43.5m in damages. Jury selection and opening statements are expected on Monday.