Giuliani's ex-spokesman says his drinking is partly responsible for his erratic behavior
Rudy's reported love for liquor has been influencing his warped decision making, his one-time spokesman said.
"It heightens his already heightened personality," said Ken Frydman, who served as the now 79-year-old's mouthpiece back in 1993 when he successfully ran to become mayor of New York City, appearing on CNN's "The Lead" with Jake Tapper.
On Friday, Giuliani, once beacon of a nation in the fallout of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and who served as former President Donald Trump's attorney — was ordered to pay a mother and daughter who worked as Georgia election workers in the 2020 presidential election $148 million after being found liable for defaming them.
“It’s no secret, nor do I do him any favors if I don’t mention that problem, because he has it,” former New York City Council president Andrew Stein told The New York Times, which described Giuliani's penchant for Scotch.
The former federal prosecutor who helped take on the La Cosa Nostra had been fighting a lawsuit lodged by the Georgia poll workers Ruby Freeman and and her daughter Shaye Moss.
They accused him launching a salvo of baseless claims that they were stuffing ballots during the vote count in Atlanta to undermine Trump.
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The jury verdict came in with the steep financial sum ($73 million to compensate them for the reputational and emotional harm they suffered and $75 million for the conduct) following a four-day trial.
The former mayor who waffled about if he'd taking the witness stand — ultimately backed out.
Yet he found a podium of microphones outside the Atlanta courtroom.
"Everything I said about them is true," Giuliani told reporters following the first day of the trial. "Of course, I don't regret it."
Among the digs at the election workers, Giuliani publicly smeared Moss in CCTV footage for handing her mother a thumb drive "like they were vials of heroin or cocaine."
Moss later testified that her mother had given her a ginger mint.
In a tweet Giuliani vowed to appeal, writing: "The absurdity of the amount is indicative of the absurdity and unfairness of the entire proceeding. It bore no resemblance to a trial in a country with the rule of law."
"I wasn't able to offer any evidence in my defense. We'll have more to say and look forward to the appeal."
Frydman believes Giuliani is getting his just desserts.
"He said that he hopes to get an appeal so he can get a fair trial before a fair tribunal or court," he said. "Certainly this was a fair proceeding, so he's just tap dancing and the music is stopping."