Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to pay a staggering amount of over $148 million in damages to two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, by a federal jury in Washington, D.C. The verdict comes as a result of Giuliani's false claims that the workers committed ballot fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

The jaw-dropping figure includes $75 million in punitive damages, $20 million awarded to each of the election workers for emotional distress, and more than $16 million each for defamation. This represents a major legal blow to Giuliani, who served as the top campaign lawyer for former president Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the election results.

Giuliani, along with Trump and 17 other defendants, face separate criminal charges in a Georgia case related to their attempts to reverse Trump's loss in the state to President Joe Biden. The civil verdict handed down by the jury on Friday follows Giuliani's decision not to testify in the U.S. District Court case in Washington, D.C., reversing his earlier plans.

The lawsuit, filed by Freeman and Moss in 2021, accused Giuliani of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy. In August, Judge Beryl Howell issued a default judgment against Giuliani after he repeatedly failed to comply with orders to provide evidence to the plaintiffs' attorneys. Giuliani had previously admitted to making false statements about the women that were defamatory.

During the trial, Freeman and Moss testified to the impact of Giuliani's claims on their lives. They described receiving constant threats and being forced to leave their homes due to the resulting fear for their safety. One email shown as evidence to the jurors read, "We are coming for you and your family! Ms. Ruby, safest place for you right now is in prison. Or you will swing from the trees."

Testimony from a social media expert estimated that it would cost Freeman and Moss between $17 million and nearly $48 million to repair the damage done to their reputations due to the false claims made by Giuliani and others.

Joseph Sibley, Giuliani's attorney in the case, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. This landmark verdict serves as a significant setback for Giuliani and underscores the consequences of spreading false information regarding the integrity of the electoral process.

This is a breaking news story, and further updates will be provided as they become available.