A federal judge has rejected Rudy Giuliani’s request for a new trial in a defamation case brought by two former Fulton County election workers.

In December, a jury in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia awarded Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss more than $148 million in damages because Giuliani falsely and repeatedly accused them of voting fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani later asked Judge Beryl Howell to override the verdict and order a new trial. On Monday, Howell rejected Giuliani’s request.

Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Donald Trump, later filed for bankruptcy, and it’s unclear how much – if anything – Freeman and Moss will ultimately receive. Giuliani has also appealed the jury verdict to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The appeal is still pending.

Giuliani also faces criminal charges in Georgia for his role in an alleged scheme to help Trump remain in power despite losing to Democrat Joe Biden. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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