🗳️ Giuliani ordered to pay $148M to election workers, then settled
He called the jury's figure absurd and promised an appeal. The 2025 settlement let him keep his homes; what the women got wasn't disclosed. 🔒
By MissFortune, money desk · Desk editor Laima Ērkšķe-Kreicberga · · 6 min read
SETTLEDPhoto: DHSgov · Public domainBy the numbers
- 3y 1mfrom first to latest entry on record
- 14receipts behind this story
A federal jury in Washington ordered Rudy Giuliani on Dec. 15, 2023 to pay $148 million to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two former Georgia election workers, after a judge had already ruled that he defamed them, The New York Times reported. Giuliani called the amount "absurd" outside the courthouse and said he would appeal. The case ended in January 2025 with a settlement that let him keep his homes and belongings, and with the compensation to the women undisclosed.
What we know
- A federal jury in Washington ordered Rudy Giuliani on Dec. 15, 2023 to pay $148 million to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, after Judge Beryl Howell had already ruled he defamed them, per The New York Times.
- Giuliani filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 21, 2023, listing nearly $152 million in debts and assets of $1 million to $10 million, HuffPost reported; the case was dismissed on July 12, 2024 at his own request, per CBS News.
- On Jan. 16, 2025, Giuliani settled, keeping his homes and belongings in exchange for compensation to the women and a promise not to defame them, the AP reported; the amount was not disclosed.
- Giuliani said in a post that the resolution involved no admission of liability or wrongdoing by any party.
The money desk's interest is the arithmetic: a nine-figure judgment, a debtor who listed assets of $1 million to $10 million, and a settlement whose price tag nobody has published. Here is the record, in order.
How the $148 million was built
The jury had only one question: how much. CNN's account of the order lists the awards line by line, and they add up to the headline figure.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Defamation damages, Freeman | $16,171,000 |
| Defamation damages, Moss | $16,998,000 |
| Emotional distress, each woman | $20 million |
| Punitive damages, combined | $75 million |
The Guardian reported that Giuliani also owed roughly an additional $275,000 in legal fees. CBS News reported that the women had sought compensatory damages of $23.9 million (Freeman) and $24.7 million (Moss), so the verdict landed nearly $100 million above what they asked for.
The timeline
Dec. 23, 2021: the lawsuit lands
Freeman and Moss sued One America News Network and Giuliani in federal court in Washington, accusing them of defaming the women by falsely claiming they committed ballot fraud in 2020, the AP reported. The suit sought punitive damages. The AP said messages to Giuliani were not immediately returned.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Aug. 30, 2023: liability decided before any damages trial
Judge Howell ruled that Giuliani lost the case after he failed to provide information sought in subpoenas, CNN reported; he had conceded that he made false and defamatory statements about the women. She wrote that he had turned over fewer than 200 relevant documents. Giuliani adviser Ted Goodman called the ruling "a prime example of the weaponization of our justice system." CNN said Giuliani had already been sanctioned almost $90,000 for the women's attorneys' fees.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Dec. 15, 2023: the jury sets the number
The jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million, per The New York Times. Giuliani said outside the courthouse, "I don't regret a damn thing," and called the amount "absurd." His lawyer, Joseph Sibley, had warned the jury that an award of the size sought would be the "civil equivalent of the death penalty" for his client. The Times reported Giuliani's net worth was unknown because he refused to provide it to the court.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Dec. 20, 2023: pay now, not in 30 days
Judge Howell ordered Giuliani to pay the $148 million immediately, citing concerns that he might "conceal his assets," The New York Times reported. She wrote that his record showed an "uncooperative litigant" and called the jury's sum "conservative." The Times noted that there was no indication he had anywhere near the amount.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Dec. 21, 2023: bankruptcy, one day later
Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in New York, court records show, listing nearly $152 million in debts, including legal fees and unpaid taxes, and assets of between $1 million and $10 million, per HuffPost. Goodman said the filing "should be a surprise to no one" and that Chapter 11 would give Giuliani time to pursue an appeal. The Times had reported that lawyers said bankruptcy would not erase this particular debt, because it stems from an intentional tort.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Jan. 18, 2024: the women call the bankruptcy a shield
In a Manhattan bankruptcy court filing, lawyers for Freeman and Moss accused Giuliani of using Chapter 11 as "a shield to hold off creditors" and "a sword to gut their legal rights," CNN reported. They wrote that if he truly wanted to appeal, "all he needed to do was not file for chapter 11 protection." The women also said he had continued to repeat the falsehood about them that month.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)May 21, 2024: a promise to stop
Giuliani agreed to never again publicly accuse the women of tampering with votes in the 2020 election, CNN reported, in an agreement formalized in a court order. The agreement permanently enjoins him from publishing statements that suggest the women engaged in wrongdoing connected to the election. The women's lawyer Michael Gottlieb said it "ends his efforts to profit off of lies." CNN said it had reached out to Giuliani's spokesperson for comment.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)July 12, 2024: the bankruptcy ends
A federal judge dismissed Giuliani's bankruptcy case after he himself asked for the dismissal, following more than half a year of missing court deadlines, CBS News reported. Judge Sean Lane barred him from again seeking bankruptcy protection for one year. Giuliani's spokesperson Goodman criticized "voluminous and overly broad discovery requests" and said the mayor would be "totally vindicated."
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)"Giuliani has failed to provide an accurate and complete picture of his financial affairs in the six months that this case has been pending."
Judge Sean Lane, in the dismissal order, quoted by CBS News, July 12, 2024
Oct. 22, 2024: the apartment, the watches and the Mercedes
Judge Lewis Liman ordered Giuliani to turn over most of his possessions and available cash to a receivership controlled by the women, The New York Times reported. The order covered about $6.5 million worth of assets, including his New York apartment, his 1980 Mercedes once owned by Lauren Bacall, and 26 watches. Giuliani's lawyers said the women would have to return the property if he won on appeal, while Goodman said the former mayor was "being unfairly punished."
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Jan. 16, 2025: the settlement, and the missing number
On the day a trial over his Florida condo and World Series rings was due to start, Giuliani settled, the AP reported, in a deal that lets him keep his homes and personal belongings in return for compensation and a promise never to defame the women again. The amount of the compensation was not disclosed. Giuliani said in a post that the resolution "does not involve an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any of the Parties." The women said they had agreed to allow him to keep his property in exchange for compensation. Giuliani's lawyer declined to say whether any money was involved, CNN reported.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Who ended up holding what
The AP reported that Giuliani's total assets were not expected to amount to much more than $10 million, and that he had already surrendered a New York apartment worth about $5 million, the Mercedes, luxury watches and other assets before the deal. Against a $148 million judgment, the women were never likely to recoup the full sum, CNN noted. MissFortune cannot print the final tally, because the one figure that would settle it, the compensation, has not been published.
Quick quiz · 3 questions
The Rudy Giuliani file
- Reported
Giuliani settles with Freeman and Moss, keeps his homes; compensation undisclosed, Giuliani says no admission of liability. This story
- Ruled
Judge Liman orders Giuliani to turn over his New York apartment and valuables to a receivership controlled by the women. This story
- Ruled
Judge Lane dismisses Giuliani's bankruptcy case after Giuliani asked for dismissal; bars refiling for one year. This story
- Filed
Giuliani files for bankruptcy in New York, listing nearly $152 million in debts and $1 million to $10 million in assets. This story
- Ruled
Judge Howell orders the $148 million judgment paid immediately rather than after the standard 30 days. This story
- Ruled
Federal jury in Washington orders Giuliani to pay $148 million to Freeman and Moss; he says he will appeal. This story
- Ruled
Judge Howell rules Giuliani lost the defamation case after he failed to comply with discovery obligations. This story
- Filed
Freeman and Moss sue Giuliani and One America News Network in federal court in Washington over election fraud claims, AP reports. This story
On file: The Rudy Giuliani file
The Ledger
On the record
- A jury awarded $148 million to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss after a judge found Giuliani liable for defamation; he settled in January 2025 and kept his New York co-op and Florida condo, per the AP.
Still rumour
- The amount of the settlement compensation was not disclosed, and his lawyer declined to say whether any money was involved. Developments after January 2025 are not confirmed in the documents read.
That's the record. The rest is rumour. - MissFortune
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