In
December 2021, two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her
daughter Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, sued Giuliani for defamation,[394][395] after Giuliani falsely accused them of manipulating vote tallies.[396] He has accused them of "passing around USB ports as
if they were vials of heroin or cocaine" and engaging in "surreptitious
illegal activity," citing video footage that, according to Moss,
actually showed the women with "a ginger mint".[397] Moss testified before the United States House of Representatives that
after Giuliani's remarks she and her family were subjected to a barrage
of racist threats, including "Be glad it's 2020 and not 1920," in
reference to lynching in the United States.[398]
In
July 2023, Giuliani was ordered to pay attorneys' fees to the election
workers after being sanctioned for failing to turn over evidence in the
case.[399] Later that month, Giuliani admitted his statements had been "defamatory per se" yet denied they had caused "any damages".[400] On August 4, the judge asked him to explain why he was still fighting the lawsuit, given his admission.[401] Due to his failure to produce documents, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell issued an order on August 30 ruling that he forfeited his case by failing to comply with his discovery obligations.[402] Meanwhile, the court increased what he owed for the plaintiffs' legal fees,[403] and he did not immediately pay.[404] The
plaintiffs subsequently requested money to cover additional attorneys'
fees that arose from discovery disputes during the case.[405] The judge again increased what Giuliani owed; the total was over $230,000.[406]
On
October 13, the judge said that due to Giuliani's "continued and
flagrant disregard of this Court's August 30 Order that he produce
financial-related documents concerning his personal and his businesses'
past and present assets", she would tell the jurors that he
intentionally hid financial documents in defiance of court orders.[407] On
December 5, 2023, Giuliani did not appear at a federal court pretrial
hearing. Freeman and Moss attended. Giuliani's lawyer, Joseph Sibley IV,
told the judge he had not understood that Giuliani's presence was
required and that it was "my mistake";[408] the judge criticized Giuliani's failure to appear.[409][410]
The
trial began on December 11. During the trial on the amount of damages,
the plaintiffs' testified that Giuliani's false statements, beginning
with one of his tweets, prompted a barrage of threatening phone calls
and messages against them, including many that were violent, vulgar, or
racist.[396] They also testified that Giuliani's lies caused others to show up at Freeman's home, to attempt to conduct a "citizen's arrest" of Moss at her grandmother's home, and to barrage Moss' teenage son with cell phone messages.[396] During the trial, Giuliani publicly repeated his false claim that Freeman and Moss "were engaged in changing votes"[411] and claimed that "When I testify, the whole story will be definitively clear that what I said was true."[412] However, Giuliani ultimately declined to testify,[396][412] and his defense team called no witnesses.[412] Giuliani's attorney pointed to another defamation lawsuit Freeman and Moss had filed against The Gateway Pundit, saying the website had likely instigated the harassment against them.[413]
On December 15, 2023, the federal jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million to Freeman and Moss, including $75 million in punitive damages.[396][414] After the verdict, Giuliani said he regretted nothing and said he would appeal.[396][415] One of his lawyers suggested he would file for bankruptcy.[396] On
December 20, concerned that Giuliani would hide his assets given the
"ample record in this case of Giuliani’s efforts to conceal or hide his
assets," Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered swift payment of the damages.[416] On December 21, he filed for bankruptcy.[24]
On December 18, Freeman and Moss sued Giuliani again, seeking an injunction to permanently prohibit him from defaming them.[417][418] They
later agreed to drop this lawsuit in exchange for Giuliani's promise
never again to state, imply, or assist others' remarks that they
"engaged in wrongdoing in connection with the 2020 presidential
election".[419]
In
January 2024, Freeman and Moss accused Giuliani of taking unfair
advantage of the bankruptcy system in a court filing, with their
attorneys calling Giuliani's approach "a flawed, impermissible
litigation tactic from an actor with a history of engaging the judicial
system in bad faith."[420][421] In February, Giuliani testified about his finances.[422] In March, creditors filed a motion to force him to sell his Florida condo to pay the judgment.[423] In April, he lost his bid to dismiss the judgment against him.[424] A
bankruptcy court hearing was set for July 10 to address his creditors'
request to put his funds under the control of an independent trustee so
they could begin to collect what they were owed.[425] On
July 12, the judge, citing Giuliani's lack of transparency over the
previous six months of litigation, said he was no longer entitled to
bankruptcy protection.[426] On July 31, Giuliani and his creditors revised their agreement.[427]
On
October 22, a federal judge in Manhattan ordered Giuliani to turn over
his $6 million Manhattan penthouse apartment and other valuable
possessions to Freeman and Moss.[428][429] Giuliani may also need to surrender his $3.5 million primary residence in Palm Beach, Florida.[430] On
October 29, Giuliani told the court that his valuables were “being held
for wherever Plaintiffs request.” On October 31, Freeman and Moss
visited Giuliani’s apartment so they could see the property inside, as
they needed to assess how they would move and store it. They discovered
that, four weeks earlier, the apartment had been emptied of "the vast
majority (if not all) of the valuable receivership property that was
known to be stored there," a fact that, as they told the court, "neither
Defendant nor Defendant’s counsel had bothered to mention." Giuliani's
lawyers told them that some unspecified property was in a storage
facility on Long Island and that his vintage Mercedes (formerly owned by Lauren Bacall)
was somewhere in Florida. Additionally, Giuliani’s lawyers provided
bank statements showing that a large amount of money had been
transferred out of his bank account in July and August and that less
than $4,000 remained in the account.[431]
At
an in-person hearing on November 7, Giuliani's lawyer proposed that the
Mercedes might be worth under $4,000, meaning that Giuliani would be
allowed to keep it. Giuliani claimed he had no idea of the whereabouts
of his other valuables. The judge gave Giuliani until November 15 to
turn over his property to the plaintiffs.[432]
Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Hiding behind his late life marriage and
late life fatherhood Seth Moulton wants to kick others down, Trump's
usurping the Senate, Black women are still being shut out of the
conversation, and much more.
Let's start with big 'manly' Seth Moulton, a member of
the US House of Representative and a long term contestant in WHAT'S MY
SEXUALITY? Some argue he settled that question in 2017 when, at the age
of 38, he finally found a woman to marry. But most of us said at the
time, "Well he is planning to run for president in 2020." And he did.
No one wanted him, but he did run.
He
launched his attack on trans people last week. That could provide
cover for his being gay -- if he was. At least for some people who
don't grasp that he could be -- he certainly acts like one -- one of
those big puffy chest conservative gay men who insult and trash trans men and women.
Here's what Seth said and I'll respond every sentence or so.
I
mean, here we are accusing Republicans of being weird and we're the
ones who are suddenly requiring people to put pronouns in their email
signatures
What's weird
about that? It's perfectly normal and even more so if your name is
Taylor or Drew or Bailey or Morgan or Alex or . . . Get the point,
stupid? Even someone as stupid as you has to grasp that a man named
Alex Smith doesn't want to be called "Ms Smith." Even you, you
overgrown fat ass, has to grasp that, right.
As
for "requiring"? There's no law. Which means it would be the company
you work for making the requirement. Companies making requirements of
their employees!!!!! OH my goodness, whoever heard of that happening.
I mean, that's kind of weird, to be honest. You know, we went through the whole gay rights movement.
Did
you now? Do tell? And where did you lose your Pride virginity, big
boy? I don't know about the rest of America but I guess I picture Seth on his
knees, in a men's room, working the glory hole.
We went through the whole Civil Rights Movement. We never had to say "Seth Moulton: Straight" or Seth Moulton: "White."
Seth,
I would be greatly surprised -- as someone who's met you and spoken
with you -- if you ever, once in your life, introduced yourself as "Seth
Moulton: Straight." But if you do, I pray that you will record it on
your phone and then post it online because I could really use a good
laugh.
You
didn't go through the Civil Rights Movement, it's before your time. But
actually, there were people passing and they did tend to get called
out. You wouldn't know that because you're Big Stupid -- that's what
the men who served with you called you, "Big Stupid." They called you
other names too but let me bite my tongue.
And all of a sudden, we have to change all our values to meet the needs or demands of one very small minority group.
Saying
he or she or they makes you change all your values? What values are
those? Your refusal to adapt to growing society don't speak well for
your post-marriage scenes. Maybe they'll forgive you if you do pig
play?
So I think we just have to be able to have a real discussion about this.
The nation's been having that conversation for years now. Where were you? At the bathhouse?
Or
maybe you were in hiding, trying to avoid questions about how you, the
successful businessman, actually ran Eastern Healthcare Partners into
the ground.
Hey, you know
what, let's talk about that? Yeah, why don't you finally answer to
that? Oh, rushing off already. Well give him my love, tell him I say
"Hi!"
WIKIPEDIA notes:
Following Kamala Harris's loss in the presidential election, he expressed opposition to transgender participation in girls' sports, saying that he does not want his daughters "getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete."[87] Following his remarks, his campaign manager resigned in protest, his comments were condemned by Salem mayor Dominick Pangallo and he faced protest from constituents.[88] In an MSNBC interview, he refused to apologize and claimed the backlash "[proved] his point".[89]
Got
to work those two daughters in -- but no gay panic, you understand.
I've made this point before -- many times -- but I'll make it again.
People like Seth don't appear bothered by transgender athletes. They're
bothered by male to female trans kids. When a female to male trans kid
plays sports -- which is honestly what I've always seen much more of --
these same people like Seth don't give a damn and don't care about it.
But aren't they fixed on 'protecting' girls (cis girls) -- Seth's kind
of like Donald Trump, he's going to protect them whether they want it or
not.
Speaking of
whether they want it or not . . . Maureen Dowd's always struggled as a
columnist. Always. Facts are hard for MoDo. She's now signed off with
Seth in her latest column so it's a good time to point out that the
72-year-old needs to be put out to pasture. That should apply to many
columnists getting paid for a job that someone younger could be doing.
But it especially applies to Maureen who's always tried to fudge the
facts by falling back on pop culture references. At 72, she's really
outlived that and it's time for some new blood. 72? What am I saying,
she's 73 in January. Get her a gold watch and show her where the exit
door is.
She's
got a massive ego on her, Dowd, and she thought aligning herself with
Sue Mengers was the way to go as the '00s wound down. It only made it
clear to those of us in the entertainment community that Dowd was dead.
She's had no real importance or traction since then. Nor could she.
She is, in fact, as dead as any film on Sue. Remember that? Sue was
going to have a big comeback. So sorry. Sue's racism was popular in
the seventies but those of us who weren't racist ensured that she never
had a comeback -- not in the 80s or the 90s or the '00s when Maureen
(and Tina Fey) tried to adopt her. Yes, Bette Midler did star in that
play. And, yes, the lie was that the play was a hit -- or some tried to pretend it was a hit.
It was a one act play with only one character so I'm sure it
broke even. But hit plays? They don't run less than three months.
Bette also starred in HELLO DOLLY which was a hit -- 550 performances.
Every
now and then another actress gets attached to an 'upcoming' film about
Mengers. But, again, she was a racist and the project tends to hit a
wall when that reality pops up. For example? Diana Ross was her
client. Diana was dating Ryan O'Neal -- another Sue client. And one
film after another that Diana was supposed to be the lead in would get
recast with a White actress. Black people learned early on that the
ultimate star f**ker Sue Mengers would f**k them over. But I am so very
glad that Tina Fey (does 30 ROCK exist without all that racist humor --
excuse me, 'post racist' racist humor?) and Maureen Dowd were able to
sit besides Sue Mengers on her throne. My only question? Did Sue
provide them with white sheets to wear or did they bring their own?
Need
another tidbit? Sue spent decades whining that her 'best friend'
Barbra Streisand left her and how that destroyed her and upset her.
Barbra had already heard Sue trash everyone else (trash them to
Barbra). Some might have been tickled. A) Barbra's not big on gossip
and B) when speaking with her manager, Barbra expected the focus to be
on her career. But Barbra began to wonder did Sue trash her to Candy
Bergen or Ali MacGraw or any of the others that Sue always trashed to
Barbra. Barbra decided to trust her with a big secret (that was made
up) to see if it got out. It did. Barbra had her answer and fired
Sue. And then Sue began whining. I believe this part is in Barbra's
book -- the part I'm about to note -- it was in an early version so my
apologies if it didn't make it into the book. Barbra told Sue they
could be friends and Sue screamed that why would she be friends with
Barbra if Barbra wouldn't stay on as her client? So Sue's drama over
Barbra leaving was always one big lie -- just like everything else about
Sue. Except her feet. Her feet did stink and she ruined many a party
by kicking her shoes off.
Donald
Trump is the Sue Mengers of the federal government. He's already
destroying himself before he gets sworn in. Last time it was the CIA.
This time it's Republicans in the US Senate.
From
ALL ABOUT EVE -- Bette Davis played Margo, Thelma Reed played Birdie.
It's after a performance and Margo's assistant Eve (Anne Baxter) has
picked up the costume and headed off from the dressing room.
Birdie: May I be so bold as to say something? Have you ever heard of the word "union"?
Margo: Behind in your dues? How much?
Birdie: I haven't got a union. I'm slave labor.
Margo: Well?
Birdie: But the wardrobe women have got one and, next to a tenor, a wardrobe woman is the touchiest thing in show business.
Margo: Oh, oh.
Birdie: She's got two things to do: carry clothes and press 'em wrong. And don't let anybody try to muscle in.
You know what's touchier than a wardrobe woman? A sitting US senator.
After
17 years in the hot seat, McConnell is expected to exit his post at the
top of Senate Republican leadership on Wednesday, ending his run as the
longest serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.
At
the top of the billing to replace the 82-year-old are South Dakota
Senator John Thune and Texas Senator John Cornyn, two establishment
conservatives and longtime McConnell allies who have not always seen eye to eye with the president-elect.
Meanwhile,
a gamut of Trump’s key allies, including Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson,
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Vivek Ramaswamy, and Charlie Kirk, are
aggressively lobbying for Florida Senator Rick Scott to take the helm.
(Trump, notably, has so far avoided endorsing any of the contenders.)
But the overzealous pressure campaign—which is also being pushed along by some far-right social media influencers and their harassment tactics—is on the verge of combusting, according to Politico.
That’s
because most of the Senate Republican conference won’t have to face
reelection until 2028 or later. On top of that, the vote is by secret
ballot, ensuring that no one—from their constituents to MAGA’s top
brass—will know if they voted for or against Trump’s candidate.
“Senators
do not take kindly to having an army of social media trolls attack
them,” one unnamed aide told Politico on Sunday, noting that the effort
was only “pissing off senators whose votes Rick needs” to win.
And
sitting US senators do not take kindly to anyone outside the Senate --
that includes a president -- attempting to tell them what to do. Now
pair that with
Kaia Hubbard (CBS NEWS) reporting:
As Senate
Republicans prepare to vote Wednesday on new leadership for the
upcoming Congress, President-elect Donald Trump is already weighing in
with demands for the new majority leader regarding his Cabinet.
After a decisive victory in the 2024 elections, Trump is returning to the White House with a GOP-led Senate at his side. Senate Republican leaders are expected to ease the way for the president-elect's agenda and
his Cabinet and judicial nominees. Trump has made it clear that he'd
like his nominees to be installed immediately, suggesting that he may
want the option to bypass the Senate's advice and consent role
entirely.
Please
note, that would be the Constitutionally assigned role of advice and
consent. For the ignorant -- like Donald Trump -- let's not the
Constitution:
Article II, Section 2, Clause 2:
He
shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to
make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and
he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate,
shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges
of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose
Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be
established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of
such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in
the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
When the most recent US senators were sworn in back in January of 2023 -- two years ago -- the median age was 65.3 years.
Wait.
We have MAGA drive bys and you know they were homeschooled so let me
explain median. Think of it as the midpoint. So half the US Senate,
in 2023, was composed of senators under the age of 65.3 and half was
composed of senators over the age of 65.3 -- 65.3 is the mid point.
And
US senators are very territorial. And that's before you get to over
half being over 65. So he wants to bypass them on advice and consent
and he wants to be able to determine who will be the next Majority
Leader -- something the Senate traditionally does all by itself.
Pushy and stupid, that's Donald Trump.
A
Senate campaign? That's much more difficult than a House campaign
(except in Alaska which has two senators and one member of the House of
Representatives). They work very hard in those runs -- or at least hard
for them -- and it being the upper house and it being a six year term,
they tend to think they know better than others -- and that's before you
factor in the issue of incumbency.
US
senators do not like to be pushed around or talked to like their
children. But there goes the idiot Trump antagonizing the Senate --
Republicans and Democrats -- before he even gets into the White House.
Where's the popcorn, right?
I
went to COMMON DREAMS before I started dictating this snapshot and had a
good, long laugh. Independent 'left' media trashed Kamala Harris day
after day -- depressing and suppressing the vote. Month after month
after month. COMMON DREAMS was one of those and they were the only one
that we publicly called out who took a look at it and changed course.
That's
the only reason I look at COMMON DREAMS now. I will note something
from them if I think it helps this community. Others, I'm done with.
But I do actively seek out stuff to note from COMMON DREAMS.
So I go there this morning and I can't stop laughing.
Where's the Jill Stein coverage? Remember Jill was so damn important and independent media had to pimp her like crazy.
There's not one story about the 'hero' Jill Stein today.
Headline
after headline of panic. Joe needs to do this or that before he leaves
office! This needs to happen! 57 groups call on the White House!
Over and over.
I applaud
you for taking a look at your coverage before the campaign concluded;
however, don't you get now why you should have dropped that s**t?
We didn't need Norman Solomon sharing how he was voting for Jill Stein, did we?
No, we didn't.
If
you could go back in time now, do you really think you would still
publish those multiple attacks on Kamala Harris that COMMON DREAMS had
each day?
This was a serious election. Much was at stake.
But
they didn't care. THE NATION, THE PROGRESSIVE, IN THESE TIMES,
DEMOCRACY NOW!, etc. They saw their purpose in ripping apart Kamala
every day.
And now they're all shocked by what Trump's going to do.
You
should have been paying attention in real time. You should have been
focused on your own damn country. Your neighbor needs the lawn mowed?
Fine. Take care of your own yard and then you can go help. But you
take care of your own yard first.
I
saw the COMMON DREAMS story about student's protesting Trump already. I
had to wonder? How much force will greet their actions when Trump's
sworn in?
I have to
wonder all the lying Gaza Freak whores who misled young people on what
was possible and who directed all the anger at Joe Biden and Kamala
Harris -- not at the ICC, not at the United Nations, not at this, not at
that -- are going to feel as immigrants are deported. As this country
crumbles, I have to wonder.
Today, we look back at Nazi Germany and wonder how? How did it happen?
Our
own Hitler happened because Katrina vanden Heuvel, Amy Goodman and
others worked overtime to attack the only possible alternative to Donald
Trump and to attack her day after day, every day in the three month
lead up to the election.
That's why we're here now.
If
the official figures are correct, we didn't turn out. Not just in
enough numbers, we didn't turn out in the numbers we did in 2020.
We
were discouraged from voting and that's the message beggar media put
out -- remember that when they ask you to donate next. They have
destroyed our country. There are people waking up in fear every day
now.
And we don't need to
hear Seth -- in the midst of his homosexual panic -- trashing
transgender people -- voters who overwhelmingly showed up and voted for
Kamala.
We don't need it.
Let
me note again, that there are all these roundtables taking place -- THE
DAILY BEAST just posted one with Samantha Bee as a co-host.
How stupid are they? How stupid do they think we are?
Black
women were shut out during the campaign by the media and that's still
the case when the so-called experts want to talk about what happened and
what we do next.
Black
women? Vote for Democrats. We won't give you a say, we won't listen to
you. And when one of you runs for office, we won't call out DEMOCRACY
NOW! or any other left platform that trashes the Black candidate every
day. We'll look the other way.
That's what it says.
The following sites updated:
