Washington jurors sent a clear message last week to Rudy Giuliani (and others who push false 2020 election claims) when they said he has to pay up to the tune of $148 million. What’s less clear is whether and when the plaintiffs he defamed and distressed, former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, will actually see that money.

Giuliani has vowed to appeal, and the amount of that staggering award could be lowered by the courts and even an eventual settlement between the parties.

Hovering over all of this is the unknown factor of how much money Giuliani has. It’s no secret that the former lawman-turned-Trump lawyer/stooge has a litany of expensive legal problems outside of this case, both civil and criminal. Notably, Giuliani can’t automatically make his obligation to Freeman and Moss disappear simply by declaring bankruptcy, because bankruptcy protections don’t apply to willful and malicious conduct, as Alex Jones learned in the Sandy Hook case recently. And plaintiffs have ways they can go after civil defendants, such as by garnishments and liens.

On that note, Freeman and Moss’ lawyers have expressed their desire to use every tool available to collect, but Giuliani will likely make it as difficult as possible for them to do so. Remember, the reason this trial was only about damages is because Giuliani’s refusal to comply with discovery led U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell to enter a default judgment against him on liability. And before Giuliani can even appeal, there’s a question of his capacity to post an appeal bond that would ensure his ability to pay up if he loses. At any rate, just as Freeman and Moss’ team will pursue every available avenue to collect, Giuliani’s obstinance during the litigation thus far suggests he will make those efforts as painful for them as possible. 

However the case ultimately ends, don’t expect a quick resolution or necessarily one for the full amount awarded by the jury, because while the powerful verdict marked the end of a chapter in one respect, it simply began another on the legal front.

And as Giuliani continues to fight this lawsuit, Freeman and Moss filed another one against him on Monday, asking the court to permanently bar him from “persisting in his defamatory campaign” against them. The Trump ally doubled down on his false claims against Freeman and Moss following the jury’s decision last Friday.

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