Rudy Giuliani, a longtime associate of former President Donald Trump, has been ordered to pay more than $148m (£116m) to two women over false claims they tampered with votes in 2020.
A judge had already found Mr Giuliani liable of making defamatory claims about Georgia poll workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.
Ms Moss said after the verdict that the past few years had been “devastating”.
The verdict came after a four-day trial to determine the penalty.
On Friday, the eight-person jury ordered $20m payments for defamation to be made to each victim.They were also each awarded over $16m for emotional distress, the jury ruled. Another payment of $75m in punitive damages was ordered to be split between them.
Addressing reporters outside the court, Mr Giuliani said: "I don’t regret a damn thing." (1)
In 2020, Mr Giuliani singled out Ms Freeman and Ms Moss and accused them of tampering with votes at the Georgia polling location where they worked.
He claimed a video showed them passing a USB drive like “vials of cocaine or heroin” when, in reality, they were exchanging a mint.
Georgia election officials debunked his accusations and other falsehoods about election fraud, and recounts affirmed that Mr Biden won the state.
(1) Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he - but will he when his assets disappear? - he’s already appealed, unsuccessfully, to Trump to pay for his own legal services.
