A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Rudy Giuliani is legally liable for defaming two Georgia election workers who became the subject of conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election that were amplified by Donald Trump in the final weeks of his presidency.

[So much for the idea that all’s fair in love and election challenges, which is basically what Giuliani argued in this lawsuit. Giuliani reportedly has significant financial problems already, and this will likely break the bank when damages are decided. And, notably, this underscores the falsity of the “stop the steal” allegation that these two women helped Joe Biden steal the election. — Ed

UPDATE:]

In an unsparing, 57-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell said Giuliani had flagrantly violated her orders to preserve and produce relevant evidence to the election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, resulting in a “default” judgment against him. She is also ordering him to pay Freeman and Moss “punitive” damages for failing to fulfill his obligations.

[Apparently, Howell had run out of patience with Giuliani over repeated violations of the discovery process. As a sanction, she entered the default judgment and ordered a trial to determine damages and punitive awards. That could be overturned on appeal, but federal appellate courts do not view willful process violations too kindly. The opinion, which lists numerous rulings ordering Giuliani to comply with discovery as well as continuances granted to him for compliance, can be found here. — Ed]