Former Trump campaign attorney Rudy Giuliani has been ordered by a federal civil trial in Washington D.C. to pay a staggering $148 million in damages to Wandrea "Shaye" Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman, two former Georgia election workers. The trial lasted a week and the jury heard testimonies from Moss and Freeman regarding the impact of 2020 election conspiracies spread by Giuliani and former President Donald Trump.

During her testimony, Moss expressed her fear for her life and the sense of helplessness she experienced, stating, "I literally felt that someone would attempt to hang me and there was nothing anyone could do about it." The women received numerous violent and racist voicemails after Giuliani falsely accused them of cheating and scanning ballots multiple times to benefit Joe Biden.

However, a hand-count audit in Georgia found the votes to have been tallied correctly in the 2020 election, and an investigation by the Georgia secretary of state's office found the accusations against Moss and Freeman to be "false and unsubstantiated." Frank Braun, who oversaw the investigation, testified, "There was no evidence that suggested they did anything wrong, except show up for work and work hard."

In August, district Judge Beryl Howell found Giuliani liable for defamation due to his lack of cooperation in the case. Giuliani admitted as part of the proceedings that his statements about Moss and Freeman were false, leading to this week's trial to determine the damages owed to the women.

Giuliani faces additional legal trouble related to his efforts to subvert Georgia's 2020 election. He is currently facing multiple charges in a racketeering investigation led by the Fulton County district attorney.

Throughout the trial, attorneys for Moss and Freeman emphasized the wide-reaching impact of election lies and the devastating effects on the lives of the two women. Expert witnesses estimated that the falsehoods reached tens of millions of people, and the cost of repairing the women's reputations through a strategic communications campaign could be as high as $47.4 million.

Freeman emotionally recounted receiving a warning from the FBI and leaving her home due to potential threats on her life. She shared the disturbing content of some of the messages, stating, "Ruby Freeman. I hope the federal government hangs you and your daughter from the Capitol dome... I pray that I will be sitting close enough to hear your necks snap!"

Giuliani's defense attorney, Joseph Sibley, argued that although Giuliani did spread falsehoods about Moss and Freeman, he should not bear the entire responsibility as others were also involved. However, Judge Howell expressed skepticism towards this argument, particularly as Giuliani continued to lie about the women while speaking to reporters on the courthouse steps during the trial.

Election expert Tammy Patrick expressed hope that the consequences faced by those involved in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election will deter candidates from lying about elections and the people who administer them in the future, especially as the 2024 election approaches.