Rudy Giuliani has reached a settlement agreement with the former Georgia election workers he owed almost $150 million to, according to a court filing Thursday.
The tentative deal was revealed after Giuliani failed to appear for a trial in federal court in New York that would determine whether he had to surrender his Florida home and New York Yankees World Series rings to Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, the workers who have a $146 million judgment against him.
In a statement, Giuliani said, “I have reached a resolution of the litigation with the Plaintiffs that will result in a satisfaction of the Plaintiffs’ judgment.”
“This resolution does not involve an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any of the Parties. I am satisfied with and have no grievances relating to the result we have reached. I have been able to retain my New York coop and Florida Condominium and all of my personal belongings,” the statement said.
The statement does not reveal how — or how much of — the huge damages amount will be satisfied. Giuliani had complained throughout the case that he’s been having trouble making ends meet, and had declared bankruptcy after getting hit with the verdict. A judge dismissed the bankruptcy case last year.
“No one deserves to be subjected to threats, harassment, or intimidation. This litigation has taken its toll on all parties. This whole episode was unfortunate. I and the Plaintiffs have agreed not to ever talk about each other in any defamatory manner, and I urge others to do the same,” Giuliani said in his statement, which he posted on X.
In a separate statement, Freeman and Moss said: “The past four years have been a living nightmare. We have fought to clear our names, restore our reputations, and prove that we did nothing wrong. Today is a major milestone in our journey. We have reached an agreement, and we can now move forward with our lives. We have agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us.”
The two sides also submitted a joint letter to the judge.
“Plaintiffs and Defendant have executed a settlement agreement that, once certain conditions are met, would fully resolve all issues currently scheduled for trial, including the claims of Intervenor Andrew H. Giuliani, and would result in the conclusion of all litigation currently pending between and among the Parties,” the filing said.
Andrew Giuliani, the former New York mayor’s son, had intervened in the case, arguing his father had gifted him the championship rings back in 2018.
The letter said they would report back to the judge when the deal is finalized.
The trial had been scheduled to start at 9 a.m. ET, with both Giulianis scheduled to testify. Andrew Giuliani was in court for the proceedings and said afterward, “Today is a good day.”
Joseph Cammarata, Rudy Giuliani’s attorney, told reporters that both sides had been involved in settlement negotiations “for quite some time” but they were “very extensive” in the 72 hours preceding the announcement of the deal.
Giuliani was found liable for defaming Freeman and Moss by repeatedly accusing them — falsely — of committing election fraud in 2020. A jury awarded them $148 million in damages in December 2023. A judge later reduced the award to $146 million.
Giuliani was appealing that verdict, but Freeman and Moss had moved to seize his assets while the case is litigated. He had already been ordered to turn over cash, his car, his multimillion-dollar New York apartment and other sports memorabilia.
The original case brought by Freeman and Moss in Washington had spurred two other legal actions — the one in New York seeking to collect on the judgment and another in Washington seeking to stop Giuliani from continuing to defame them.
Giuliani was found in contempt of court in both of those actions this month. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman found Giuliani in contempt for repeatedly failing to follow court orders to turn over information in the New York case, while U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found him in contempt for having again defamed Freeman and Moss on his web show.
Liman had scheduled a hearing for later this month on how Giuliani should be punished, but both sides asked Thursday for that to be delayed “to permit the Parties to fully implement the Agreement.”
Liman agreed and ordered both sides to come back before him on March 3.
Howell had ordered Giuliani to file a sworn declaration by Jan. 20 acknowledging he did not present any evidence of Freeman and Moss’ having committed election fraud in the defamation case, and that all the witnesses in the case testified they had not committed any fraud. She also ordered him to pay a $ 200-a-day fine if he did not do so.
It was not immediately clear how Thursday’s agreement affects that ruling.
“I think you’re going to have to stay tuned to what happens with that,” Cammarata said.
