Guliani admits he lied about voter fraud

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Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who served as an outside lawyer to former President Donald Trump, acknowledged Wednesday that he made "false" statements when he claimed two Georgia election workers engaged in voter fraud during the 2020 election. Giuliani, who's being sued by the now former election workers for defamation, still argued he was engaging in constitutionally protected speech when he made the allegations.

Giuliani's concession came in a two-page stipulation he submitted to the federal District Court in Washington, D.C., as part of the lawsuit brought by Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, who are mother and daughter. In the filing, the former mayor admitted that for the purposes of the litigation, "to the extent the statements were statements of fact and otherwise actionable, such actionable factual statements were false."

Giuliani also admitted that "he does not dispute for purposes of this litigation, that the statements carry meaning that is defamatory per se," and no longer contests the "factual elements of liability" raised by Freeman and Moss. But he noted that the declaration has no effect on his argument that he made constitutionally protected statements or opinions, or that his conduct caused the pair any damage.

Giuliani's concessions come as he faces the prospect of sanctions from the court regarding his discovery obligations in the dispute. Freeman and Moss asked U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who is presiding over the case, earlier this month to impose the sanctions, including awarding certain attorneys' fees and costs, on Giuliani for failing to preserve electronic evidence from his email, messaging and social media accounts and electronic devices.

"Indeed, sanctions exist to remedy the precise situation here — a sophisticated party's abuse of judicial process designed to avoid accountability, at enormous expense to the parties and this Court," the pair's lawyers wrote. "Defendant Giuliani should know better. His conduct warrants severe sanctions."

Giuliani, though, asked to deny the request for sanctions, and noted in a separate filing that he "stipulates by concession any pertinent facts for which discovery from him would be needed."

"Out of abundance of caution, and to avoid any potential controversy, Giuliani has agreed to stipulate to the factual aspects of liability as to plaintiffs claims, except damages, as such discovery or information would be solely in possession of the plaintiffs," Joseph Sibley IV, Giuliani's lawyer, told the court. "While Giuliani does not admit to Plaintiffs' allegations, he — for purposes of this litigation only — does not contest the factual allegations."

The signed declaration noted that Giuliani "is desirous to avoid unnecessary expenses in litigating what he believes to be unnecessary disputes."

Michael Gottlieb, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss, said Giuliani's acknowledgements are a "major milestone in this fight for justice," though certain issues, including damages, still must be decided by the court.

"Giuliani's stipulation concedes what we have always known to be true — Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss honorably performed their civic duties in the 2020 presidential election in full compliance with the law; and the allegations of election fraud he and former-President Trump made against them have been false since day one," Gottlieb said in a statement.

Freeman and Moss worked as election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, during the 2020 election. Freeman was a temporary employee tasked with verifying signatures on absentee ballots and preparing them for counting and processing, while Moss, who had worked for the Fulton County elections department since 2012, worked on the county's absentee ballot operation.

The two were thrust into the public eye after they were shown in security camera footage from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta processing ballots. The Trump campaign and Giuliani shared an excerpt from the footage, and falsely claimed it showed Freeman and Moss engaging in a fake ballot scheme.

 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

RUBY FREEMAN and Wandrea Moss
Plaintiffs,

RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI,
Defendant.

Case No. 1:21-cv-03354 (BAH)
Judge Beryl A. Howell
NOLO CONTENDRE STIPULATION

WHEREAS, Defendant Giuliani believes that he has legal defenses to this Complaint; and

WHEREAS, Defendant Giuliani is desirous to avoid unnecessary expenses in litigating what he believes to be unnecessary disputes; now

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED, solely for the purposes of this litigation that Defendant Giuliani, for the purpose of deciding this case on the legal issues, and recognizing that all other defendants previously identified in the complaint have resolved their claims with all plaintiffs and without admitting to the truth of the allegations, hereby does not contest the following allegations:

1. Defendant Giuliani concedes solely for purposes of this litigation before this Court and on Appeal: that Defendant Giuliani made the statements of and concerning Plaintiffs, which include all of the statements detailed in Plaintiffs Amended Complaint, ECF No. 22 at §§57-101 and he does not dispute for purposes of this litigation, that the statements carry meaning that is defamatory per se;

2. That Defendant Giuliani, for the purposes of this litigation only, published those statements to third parties;

3. That Defendant Giuliani, for the purposes of this litigation only, does not contest that, to the extent the statements were statements of fact and otherwise actionable, such actionable actual statements were false. This stipulation does not affect Giuliani’s ability to seek setoff, offset or settlement credit, or his argument that his statements are constitutionally protected statements or opinions or any applicable statute of limitations, or that Giuliani’s statements, in fact, caused Plaintiffs any damages, and the amount of any alleged damages which Giuliani’s statements may have caused or any other legal defense not expressly waived by this Stipulation;

4. That Defendant Giuliani does not contest, solely for the purposes of this litigation, including on any appeal in this litigation, the factual elements of liability (subject to any retained affirmative defenses not expressly waived herein) regarding Plaintiffs’ claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress and other related tort claims. This stipulation does not affect Giuliani's ability to seek setoff, offset or settlement credit, or his argument that his statements are constitutionally protected statements or opinions or any applicable statute of limitations, or that Giuliani's conduct, in fact, caused Plaintiffs any damages, and the amount of any alleged damages Giuliani’s conduct may have caused or any other legal defense not expressly waived by this Stipulation.

Dated: July 25, 2023

By: Rudolph W. Giuliani

It all seems perfectly clear to me.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

RUBY FREEMAN and Wandrea Moss
Plaintiffs,

RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI,
Defendant.

Case No. 1:21-cv-03354 (BAH)
Judge Beryl A. Howell
NOLO CONTENDRE STIPULATION

WHEREAS, Defendant Giuliani believes that he has legal defenses to this Complaint; and

WHEREAS, Defendant Giuliani is desirous to avoid unnecessary expenses in litigating what he believes to be unnecessary disputes; now

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED, solely for the purposes of this litigation that Defendant Giuliani, for the purpose of deciding this case on the legal issues, and recognizing that all other defendants previously identified in the complaint have resolved their claims with all plaintiffs and without admitting to the truth of the allegations, hereby does not contest the following allegations:

1. Defendant Giuliani concedes solely for purposes of this litigation before this Court and on Appeal: that Defendant Giuliani made the statements of and concerning Plaintiffs, which include all of the statements detailed in Plaintiffs Amended Complaint, ECF No. 22 at §§57-101 and he does not dispute for purposes of this litigation, that the statements carry meaning that is defamatory per se;

2. That Defendant Giuliani, for the purposes of this litigation only, published those statements to third parties;

3. That Defendant Giuliani, for the purposes of this litigation only, does not contest that, to the extent the statements were statements of fact and otherwise actionable, such actionable actual statements were false. This stipulation does not affect Giuliani’s ability to seek setoff, offset or settlement credit, or his argument that his statements are constitutionally protected statements or opinions or any applicable statute of limitations, or that Giuliani’s statements, in fact, caused Plaintiffs any damages, and the amount of any alleged damages which Giuliani’s statements may have caused or any other legal defense not expressly waived by this Stipulation;

4. That Defendant Giuliani does not contest, solely for the purposes of this litigation, including on any appeal in this litigation, the factual elements of liability (subject to any retained affirmative defenses not expressly waived herein) regarding Plaintiffs’ claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress and other related tort claims. This stipulation does not affect Giuliani's ability to seek setoff, offset or settlement credit, or his argument that his statements are constitutionally protected statements or opinions or any applicable statute of limitations, or that Giuliani's conduct, in fact, caused Plaintiffs any damages, and the amount of any alleged damages Giuliani’s conduct may have caused or any other legal defense not expressly waived by this Stipulation.

Dated: July 25, 2023

By: Rudolph W. Giuliani

The fact remains, he ruined the lives of those the two, mother and daughter election workers. MAGA thugs had forced their way into the mother's home, looking for the daughter! The daughter is afraid to even go to the store! And all because Ghouliani slandered them with the false accusation that they had altered the election results in Biden's favor. And before anyone forgets, Ghouliani emphasized these two women were BLACK!! ! Obviously playing up to prejudices he believes exists among Trump's constituents, and again revealing his own bigotry.

I think most of us understand Giuliani lied, even Giuliani himself. It's just a question of whether or not he's admitted that he's lied, or if he's simply choosing to not challenge accusations of that nature in a specific and limited context.

The court document is very clear that Giuliani isn't admitting guilt, he's simply not contesting the allegations made under items 1-4 during this litigation.