Comedian and social/political commentator John Oliver had choice words for Donald Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani on the last 2023 episode of Last Week Tonight.
Oliver's criticism referenced statements Giuliani made last Monday outside the courthouse where damages were being determined in a defamation lawsuit against the former New York City mayor. A court had already ruled Giuliani defamed mother and daughter Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ ArShaye “Shaye” Moss.
In his capacity as the former Republican President's lawyer, Giuliani repeatedly lied about the women's actions during the 2020 presidential election as Fulton County Georgia poll workers.
Those repeated lies are also part of a Georgia RICO case filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis against Trump, Giuliani and other members of the Trump team.
Oliver described Giuliani as:
“America’s mayor and his cousin’s ex-husband."
He added Giuliani:
"...frankly didn’t help himself by showing no contrition and actually repeating his claims outside court on Monday."
You can see Oliver's commentary and the clip of Giuliani here:
Apparently having learned nothing, on December 11 Giuliani once again declared his innocence to the press.
Giuliani—who also faces disbarment proceedings in D.C.—claimed he had proof he never lied about the women.
He said he'd present proof when he testified.
Giuliani told reporters of Freeman and Moss:
"I told the truth. They–they were engaged in changing votes."
Meanwhile his handlers and lawyers tried to pull him away from the microphones.
When a reporter called out there was no proof of this, Giuliani responded:
"Oh, you're damn right there is. Stay tuned."
However Giuliani presented almost no defense in his defamation trial and never testified.
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Giuliani's adviser, Ted Goodman, jumped in for some damage control, telling the press:
"The Rudy Giuliani you see today is the same man who cleaned up the streets of New York, took down the mafia... and comforted–c'mon, let's go, we're going to our car."
After the clip ended, Oliver said:
"Wow. There is so much there that is pathetic."
"That man is desperately trying to coast off the guy that Giuliani was 20 years ago."
"It is the rare attempt to Weekend at Bernie's someone who is still alive."
"Also he bailed on that defense mid-sentence."
Speaking as Goodman, Oliver quipped:
"'Yeah, I was gonna get to 9/11 but this has been a disaster. Just get in the f*cking car, Rudy!'."
The Last Week Tonight host then segued to another topic, but others had further feedback for Giuliani on X.
On December 15, the eight member jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia awarded Fulton County Georgia election workers Freeman and Moss $148.1 million for harm caused by Giuliani's lies.
At the close of the four-day damages phase of the defamation lawsuit, the mother and daughter were awarded $75 million in punitive damages, $33,169,000 for defamation and $40 million for infliction of emotional distress.
In their closing argument, Freeman and Moss' pro bono lawyers from the Willkie firm stated:
"Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are heroes. After everything they have been through, they stood up, they said no more. They filed this lawsuit."
"They opened themselves up to you, and unlike others, testified under oath."
"They have explained what it’s like to become the target of some of the most powerful men on the planet, knowing full well that those men are still out there targeting them."
"That is courage. That is bravery. That is extraordinary."
Giuliani claimed he would appeal.
However his failure to stop lying has already resulted in a new defamation lawsuit from Freeman and Moss' legal team which includes—in addition to Willkie—Protect Democracy and Dubose Miller LLC.
They cited Giuliani's conduct on Monday, December 11 as well as on Friday, December 15 after the trial and on far-right provocateur Steve Bannon's podcast on Saturday, December 16.
The new lawsuit states:
"Defendant Giuliani continues to spread the very same lies for which he has already been held liable."
"Defendant Giuliani’s statements, coupled with his refusal to agree to refrain from continuing to make such statements, make clear that he intends to persist in his campaign of targeted defamation and harassment. It must stop."
The women are asking a federal judge to prohibit Giuliani from lying about them.
The new lawsuit filed Monday, December 18, seeks a permanent injunction from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia be placed on Giuliani prohibiting him “from making or publishing, or causing to be made or published, further statements repeating any and all false claims” that the mother and daughter “engaged in election fraud, illegal activity or misconduct of any kind."
After Trump lost the 2020 popular and electoral vote to Democratic candidate Joe Biden, Giuliani joined others in spreading Trump's ego driven Big Lie. As with his defamation lawsuit, Giuliani and his cohorts always claimed to have proof of election fraud, but failed to produce any.
In plea agreements in the Fulton County RICO indictments, several of Giuliani's former Trump teammates now state there is no proof and never was.
Two of the people Giuliani frequently appeared on camera and in hearings about the 2020 election with, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, have taken plea deals stating everyone involved knew any claims Trump won the election or of interference beyond Trump's own were all lies.
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