Judge Beryl Howell ordered Rudy Giuliani Wednesday to immediately pay $148 million to two Georgia poll workers who successfully sued him for defamation, court records show.
In a scathing 13-page order, Howell demands immediate enforcement to shorten the odds that Giuliani dodge the judgment in favor of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, explained legal analyst Harry Litman.
"He has far less ability to play tricks with or get rid of whatever assets he has," Litman said. "Big development and latest of series of sledgehammer blows against Rudy."
Judge Howell describes Giuliani as an "uncooperative litigant" and dismisses Giuliani's contention that, despite mounting debts, he would not "conceal his assets."
"Giuliani feebly counters concerns about him hiding assets, stating that 'there is no evidence in the record of any attempt by [him] to dissipate assets,'" the order says.
"This statement simply ignores the ample record in this case of Guiliani's efforts to conceal or hide his assets by failing to comply with discovery requests, including 'plaintiffs' requests for financial information.'"
MSNBC analyst Lisa Rubin notes Giuliani can ask for a stay on Howell's ruling.
"But to get one, he’ll likely have to post a bond in the full amount of damages awarded," she said.
Freeman and Moss sued Giuliani for defamation after he accused the pair of funneling fake votes into the Georgia presidential election in 2020.
What Giuliani claimed was a USB drive full of faked ballots, the women later testified to Congress was a ginger mint.
