Giuliani and Dominion Voting Systems Reach Settlement
NEW YORK (AP) — Rudy Giuliani has reached a confidential settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, bringing an end to the company’s $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against him over allegations related to the 2020 election.
The agreement was disclosed in a joint filing in federal court in Washington, D.C., permanently dismissing the case against the former New York City mayor and personal attorney to Donald Trump. Specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, according to representatives from both parties.
Dominion Voting Systems initiated the lawsuit in 2021, seeking $1.3 billion in damages after Giuliani’s public claims of election rigging. These claims, which lacked evidence, targeted the voting machine manufacturer, accusing it of contributing to Trump’s electoral defeat to Joe Biden.
The accusations against Dominion, which supplied voting machines used in Georgia—a pivotal state that Biden won—were among numerous conspiracy theories that emerged post-election. These theories not only caused reputational damage to Dominion but also led to widespread doubt about the integrity of the U.S. electoral system, spurring calls to ban voting machines and even resulted in threats against election officials.
Despite these claims, investigations, including those by former Attorney General Bill Barr, found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Dominion has successfully reached settlements with other media outlets over similar claims. In 2023, Fox News settled for nearly $800 million, while Newsmax agreed to a $67 million settlement.
The defamation lawsuit against Giuliani followed his repeated statements on social media, in media appearances, and during legislative hearings, alleging Dominion’s involvement in election fraud. This case is one of several legal and financial challenges Giuliani has faced due to his role in promoting election conspiracy theories.
Earlier, a New York judge ordered Giuliani to pay $1.36 million in legal fees. Over recent years, Giuliani has been disbarred in both New York and Washington, filed for bankruptcy, and reached a settlement to prevent the loss of personal assets after being ordered to pay $148 million to defamed Georgia elections workers.
