Rudy Giuliani facing $1.3bn lawsuit over false election fraud claims
25 January 2021, 16:09
Rudy Giuliani is being sued for $1.3 billion by Dominion Voting Systems over his "viral disinformation campaign" in which he made "dozens" of false election fraud claims.
The election equipment manufacturer filed a 107-page lawsuit against Donald Trump's personal lawyer on Monday in Washington D.C.'s Federal District Court.
It accused the former New York City mayor of carrying out “a viral disinformation campaign about Dominion” that consisted of “demonstrably false” allegations.
Mr Giuliani spearheaded months of baseless claims that the company's technology was rigged in favour of the Democrats during the presidential vote on 3 November last year, Dominion claims.
“Acting in concert with allies and media outlets that were determined to promote a false preconceived narrative about the 2020 election, Giuliani launched a viral disinformation campaign about Dominion that reached millions of people and caused enormous harm to Dominion,” the company wrote in its complaint.
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The firm argued that his repeated election fraud claims led to a number of "single and indivisible injuries", including its employers being stalked, harassed and receiving death threats.
Dominion also said it has been "forced to make an expenditure of money to remedy the defamation and to protect the lives of its employees", which has led to lost profits and "irreparable damage" to its reputation.
It accused Mr Giuliani of making the false and defamatory statements on Twitter, on his radio and podcast shows, during TV appearances, and at the rally ahead of the storming of the Capitol on 6 January.
The manufacturer is seeking more than $1.3 billion (£950m) in damages, according to the complaint, which was first reported in the New York Times. It is also demanding a trial by jury on all claims.
Dominion said the former mayor and his allies disseminated what it calls the "big lie", in which they "deceived millions into believing that Dominion had stolen their votes and fixed the election".
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The lawsuit also accuses Mr Giuliani of cashing in on the conspiracy by demanding $20,000 a day to represent the former president and by hosting a podcast that advertised cigars, gold coins, supplements and protection from "cyberthieves".
"Not only have these lies damaged the good name of my company, but they also undermined trust in American democratic institutions, drowning out the remarkable work of elections officials and workers, who ensured a transparent and secure election," the company's chief executive officer John Poulos said in a statement.
"The thousands of hand recounts and audits that proved machines counted accurately continue to be overshadowed by disinformation.
"Guiliani continues to make demonstrably false claims, and we intend to hold him, and others who spread disinformation, to account," Mr Poulos added.
The claim also notes that while the lawyer spread misinformation about Dominion being owned by Venezuelan communists and corrupting the election, he did not make those claims in lawsuits he pushed on behalf of Mr Trump.
LBC has contacted Mr Giuliani for comment.
