Giuliani concedes to making false statements about Georgia election workers
Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump, has conceded to making "false" statements about two Georgia election workers — Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss — who claim he defamed them while alleging fraud in the 2020 contest.
"Defendant Giuliani concedes solely for the purposes of this litigation … that Defendant Giuliani made the statements of and concerning plaintiffs," reads the Tuesday court filing, per CNN. "He does not dispute for the purposes of this litigation, that the statements carry meaning that is defamatory per se."
But on Wednesday morning, spokesperson Ted Goodman further clarified — and watered down — the former mayor's intentions, claiming he "did not acknowledge that the statements were false" but rather chose "not to contest" the matter "in order to move on to the portion of the case that will permit a motion to dismiss."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"This is a legal issue, not a factual issue," Goodman added. "Those out to smear the mayor are ignoring the fact that this stipulation is designed to get to the legal issues of the case."
In other words, Giuliani's acknowledgment is an attempt to "bypass the fact-gathering stage and move on to legal arguments about whether he can be held liable for the damages Moss and Freeman are seeking," Politico explained. He still maintains that his statements in question constitute protected speech, and also refuses to concede that he caused damages to either plaintiff, per CNN.
The concession is likely also intended to end Moss and Freeman's attempts to gather further evidence, like emails and texts, after the presiding judge earlier this month chastised Giuliani for failing to thoroughly procure the appropriate records. "By admitting to the facts," Politico reported, "he says that further efforts by Moss and Freeman to obtain documents and other factual evidence are no longer necessary."
Michael J. Gottlieb, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said his team is happy with the development. "While certain issues, including damages, remain to be decided by the court, our clients are pleased with this major milestone in their fight for justice, and look forward to presenting what remains of this case at trial."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
6 charming homes for the whimsical
Feature Featuring a 1924 factory-turned-loft in San Francisco and a home with custom murals in Yucca Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Big tech's big pivot
Opinion How Silicon Valley's corporate titans learned to love Trump
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Stacy Horn's 6 favorite works that explore the spectrum of evil
Feature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Anthony Doerr, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump starts term with spate of executive orders
Speed Read The president is rolling back many of Joe Biden's climate and immigration policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pardons or commutes all charged Jan. 6 rioters
Speed Read The new president pardoned roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Pam Bondi downplays politics at confirmation hearing
Speed Read Trump's pick for attorney general claimed her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden warns of oligarchy in farewell address
Speed Read The president issued a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hegseth boosts hopes for confirmation amid grilling
Speed Read The Senate held confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, Trump's Defense Secretary nominee
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden removes Cuba from terrorism blacklist
Speed read The move is likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration, as it was Trump who first put Cuba on the terrorism blacklist in his first term
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
South Korea arrests impeached president
speed read Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained, making him the first sitting president to be arrested in the country's history
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published