'Hiding something': Ex-prosecutor predicts what jury will be 'told' during Giuliani’s defamation trial

Ahead of ex-President Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani's trial next week, former assistant US attorney Andrew Weissmann laid out the severity of the former New York mayor's attacks on Georgia election workers during his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

According to NBC News, "A jury trial is set to begin Dec. 11 to determine what damages, both compensatory and punitive, Giuliani will face. But the former Donald Trump lawyer recently said in court filings that decisions about damages should be made by a judge, not a jury."

During Monday's episode of MSNBC's Deadline: White House, guest host Ali Velshi said, "Andrew Weissmann, though it is a civil trial, it has importance well beyond whatever the damages end up being. I want to just play a little of what [former Georgia election worker] Ruby Freeman said to Congress on June 21, 2022."

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In the video clip, Freeman said, "I've lost my name and i've lost my reputation. I've lost my sense of security. All because a group of people starting with number 45 and his ally, Rudy Giuliani, decided to scapegoat me and my daughter, Shaye, to push their own lies about how the presidential election was stolen."

Velshi then said, "Andrew, the bigger part of the story is that these are the people upon whom our free and fair elections are built. People like Ruby Freeman and Shaye. They were intimidated. They were actually threatened. And all across this country we hear stories about people like them. It wasn't Rudy Giuliani doing it, but they are threatened and they are leading the process. If we want robust democracy, we need the players in that democracy, the people who volunteer their time or work for very little money to administer elections to feel safe in the process."

Weissmann replied, "Absolutely. That's true of election workers. It's true of judicial officers. It's true of prosecutors. It's true of journalists. All of the people who can stand in the way of unchecked, unfettered power. Two quick points: It is worth making sure people understand that the attacks on Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman were not just veiled, but they were so racist in the way that they were targeted by Rudy Giuliani, and I suspect we're going to hear a lot more about that next week when the trial is undertaken."

The former prosecutor continued, "The second point just quickly like to make, is it's important to remember why Rudy Giuliani was found liable and sanctioned twice by Beryl Howell, and that is he did not turn over discovery. In a civil case, both sides have to turn over relevant documents to each other. And it is plain from Judge Howell's decision that Rudy Giuliani is hiding something. Because the reason he has been in contempt of court and has been repeatedly sanctioned is he has not turned over discovery as to what happened and the documents that he has, and that is why he is now in this position where liability is found against him. And the jury is going to be told that there are presumptions that they have to impose on him and in favor of the plaintiffs in this case because of his contemptuous conduct."

READ MORE: 'This is lawfare': Election deniers face defamation suits from groups ensuring they 'think twice' next time

Watch the video below or at this link.

Ex-prosecutor predicts what 'jury is going to be told' during Rudy Guiliani's trialyoutu.be

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