Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against former New York Mayor and former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The complaint accuses Giuliani of making “demonstrably false” claims about Dominion’s role in the 2020 presidential election, according to Bloomberg. Giuliani was a key part of the legal team leading former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
JUST IN: Dominion files $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani https://t.co/rLBiEuRtkC
— Axios (@axios) January 25, 2021
“Although he was unwilling to make false election fraud claims about Dominion and its voting machines in a court of law because he knew those allegations are false, he and his allies manufactured and disseminated the ‘Big Lie,’ which foreseeably went viral and deceived millions of people into believing that Dominion had stolen their votes and fixed the election,” the lawsuit alleges, according to Bloomberg. (RELATED: President Trump Is Reportedly Stiffing Rudy Giuliani On Legal Bills)
The lawsuit is based on more than 50 statements made by Giuliani, including some made after a legal notice from Dominion asking him to stop, during court hearings, his podcast, media appearances and on Twitter, Axios reported. None of the allegations made against Dominion for rigging votes have been substantiated with verifiable evidence.
The company cites threats and reputational harm done by Giuliani’s claims as a basis for the $1.3 billion in damages. “Dominion’s founder and employees have been harassed and have received death threats, and Dominion has suffered unprecedented and irreparable harm,” the suit says, according to Axios.
Dominion founder and CEO John Poulos previously told Axios the company had not ruled out potential lawsuits against former President Trump and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Attorney Sidney Powell has already been sued by the company, also for $1.3 billion.