‘The Single Worst Legal Strategy Ever Devised by a Human Mind’: Elie Honig Aghast at Giuliani’s Tactics in Defamation Case

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig predicted the two election workers that Rudy Giuliani defamed will be awarded “massive” damages in their case against him thanks to a horrendous legal strategy.

A federal judge already found the former New York mayor liable for defamation when he made false allegations against Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Giuliani, who has promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election being rigged, has repeatedly targeted Freeman and Moss. A jury in Washington, D.C is currently deliberating on the amount of damages the two will be awarded at Giuliani’s expense.

In testimony on Wednesday, Freeman recalled the numerous threats received after Giuliani made the false claims about her, which included claims she and Moss helped rig the election in Georgia using USB drives they were handling “like they were vials of heroin or cocaine,” as he put it.

The “drives” were actually mints.

Honig appeared on Thursday’s edition of The Source, where host Kaitlan Collins noted that Giuliani will not testify.

“What do you make of Giuliani insisting all along that he was going to testify, and then just pulling out at the last minute?” she inquired.

“Well, it’s the smartest move he’s made in years,” Honig replied. “I mean, if he had taken the stand, imagine what a catastrophe that would’ve been. This man is a pathological liar. He can’t help himself.”

Rather than show contrition after being found liable, Giuliani has doubled down. Outside the courthouse on Tuesday, he insisted to reporters he “told the truth” about Freeman and Moss.

Honig added, “This case is what happens when you combine vicious, over-the-top defamation against innocent victims with the single worst legal strategy ever devised by a human mind.”

He added:

Let’s go through the way Rudy and his lawyer approached this case. First, they agreed that they were liable, that Rudy was liable. They conceded, yes, what he did was defamatory. Now, there may be a strategy there if your strategy is, we’re just gonna try to minimize damages. We’re gonna go in there, Rudy is gonna express remorse, he’s gonna say, “I got caught up in something stupid. I didn’t intend for my words to have this effect. I’m sorry. Maybe you can minimize damages.”

Instead, they go in on this damages trial and commit more defamation. They are just asking for a massive verdict and I think we’re gonna see that tomorrow.

Watch above via CNN.

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