Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer to Donald Trump, has been ordered to pay $148 million to election workers who he falsely accused of engaging in election fraud. This comes after several courtroom setbacks for Trump, who has been on the campaign trail, reviving divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. At a rally in New Hampshire, he embraced “blood and soil” statements and referred to defendants jailed in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol as “hostages.” Trump’s continued use of such rhetoric has been condemned as dangerous and divisive. Additionally, his wife Melania Trump made a rare public appearance at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives, despite her husband’s prior attacks on the agency. Meanwhile, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president continues to maintain a lead in the race ahead of the upcoming first-in-the-nation GOP presidential primary.
Giuliani has declared his intention to appeal the ruling, but the jury was unanimous in their decision against him, awarding each plaintiff millions of dollars for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The election workers, Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, delivered statements expressing their gratitude for the jury’s decision while emphasizing that money alone cannot undo the devastation caused by Giuliani’s lies. They also called for accountability for others who unjustly targeted them. Despite the challenges and hardships they face, they remain determined to fight for justice.
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