Rudy Giuliani has reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in a high-profile defamation lawsuit amounting to $1.3 billion, sparked by his unfounded claims regarding the integrity of the 2020 election. The agreement was announced in a federal court filing in Washington, D.C., on Friday, which indicated that both parties have consented to permanently dismiss the lawsuit against Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and personal lawyer to Donald Trump.
The details of the settlement remain undisclosed, with representatives from both sides confirming that the terms are confidential. A Dominion spokesperson stated, “The Parties have agreed to a confidential settlement to this matter.” Efforts to obtain further comment from Giuliani’s team have not yet yielded a response.
Dominion initiated legal action against Giuliani in 2021, seeking damages after he played a pivotal role in promoting false narratives about the election results. Following the defeat of Trump by President Joe Biden, numerous conservatives and supporters of the former president targeted Dominion, one of the United States’ leading voting machine manufacturers, accusing it of manipulating the election in favor of Biden. Such unfounded allegations particularly intensified in battleground states like Georgia, where Dominion provided voting machines during the election.
The rampant conspiracy theories surrounding the election not only inflicted significant harm on Dominion’s reputation but also eroded public trust in the electoral process. This climate of distrust led to increasing calls for the banning of voting machines and even resulted in threats against election officials.
Despite these claims, investigations led by Trump’s former attorney general and other officials found no evidence of widespread fraud during the election. In 2023, Fox News reached its own substantial settlement of nearly $800 million with Dominion, while conservative network Newsmax also settled for $67 million over similar allegations pertaining to election integrity.
The lawsuit against Giuliani centered on various public statements he made, including comments on social media, conservative news platforms, and during legislative hearings. These statements falsely asserted that Dominion had conspired to alter votes in favor of Biden. This legal battle is part of a broader pattern of legal and financial difficulties for Giuliani, all stemming from his involvement in perpetuating election-related conspiracy theories.
Earlier this month, a New York judge mandated Giuliani to pay $1.36 million in legal fees. Furthermore, he has faced disbarment as an attorney in both New York and Washington, filed for bankruptcy, and reached an undisclosed settlement regarding his homes and personal belongings. This latter settlement followed a court ruling that Giuliani owed $148 million to two former Georgia election workers whom he falsely accused of wrongdoing during the election.
In a related development, a federal judge in Minnesota recently ruled that MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, another Trump ally, had defamed the election technology company Smartmatic by making false claims about its voting machines’ role in rigging the election. The ongoing legal repercussions faced by Giuliani and his associates highlight the significant fallout from their attempts to undermine the democratic process through baseless allegations.
