Rudy Giuliani might be headed to the witness stand to testify in his own defence during a trial that will determine how much damage his false statements caused a mother-daughter pair of election workers at the centre of bogus conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election.
Donald Trump’s former attorney, who was found liable for defaming Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, could be called to testify about his false statements as well as his team’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to a Tuesday filing with an outline of the case.
Jenna Ellis, among attorneys alongside Mr Giuliani who launched a spurious legal campaign to overturn election results, also is on the trial’s witness list, along with other Trump-connected figures Bernie Kerik and Christina Bobb, among others.
A trial is scheduled to begin on 11 December and will last up to four days.
The only issue remaining at trial will be to determine just how much Mr Giuliani owes the defendants for their claims of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy and punitive damages.
A default judgment from US District Judge Beryl Howell in August reprimanded Mr Giuliani for his failure to turn over evidence in the case and attempts to frame himself as a victim of unfair persecution.
“Donning a cloak of victimization may play well on a public stage to certain audiences, but in a court of law this performance has served only to subvert the normal process of discovery in a straight-forward defamation case,” the judge wrote.
In statements to lawmakers during televised hearings in 2020, Mr Giuliani baselessly accused the women of manipulating election results, including hiding ballots in suitcases and exchanging a USB drive with the intent of changing the vote count on tabulation devices.
His statements “helped unleash a wave of hatred and threats we never could have imagined,” the women told The Independent in a statement earlier this month following an order from a federal judge finding Mr Giuliani liable for defamation.
“It cost us our sense of security and our freedom to go about our lives,” they added.
Rudy Giuliani speaks at a press conference next to Jenna Ellis, left, amplifying bogus fraud claims in the wake of the 2020 election— (REUTERS)
Mr Giuliani also is among co-defendants in a criminal trial accusing the former New York City mayor of joining a criminal enterprise to reject Georgia’s election results. He is also among the unindicted co-conspirators in a federal criminal case targeting Mr Trump for an alleged multi-state conspiracy to overturn 2020 results.
He is expected to testify, in person, for an hour in his defamation case next month.
Ms Freeman and Ms Moss also are expected to testify for nearly two hours and up to three hours, respectively.
Ms Ellis – who was among co-defendants in the Georgia case – recently reached a plea agreement with Fulton County prosecutors charging her with one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.
Her testimony in Mr Giuliani’s trial could discuss Mr Giuliani’s “efforts and strategy” to overturn election results, as well as video of the women working to count ballots on election night that he falsely claimed depicted fraud, according to the filing. Her testimony is expected to last 15 minutes on direct examination.
Christina Bobb – a former anchor for One America News Network, which also faced a lawsuit from Ms Freeman and Ms Moss – promoted false claims about the 2020 election during her appearances on the far-right cable outlet. She has since joined Mr Trump’s legal team with his Save America PAC.
She “may testify about working with Defendant Giuliani to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the allegations against plaintiffs at issue in this litigation,” according to the latest joint filing. Her testimony also is expected to last 15 minutes on direct examination.
