In a move that brings closure to one of the most high-profile legal battles stemming from the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Dominion Voting Systems and Rudy Giuliani have reached a confidential settlement in Dominion’s $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against the former New York City mayor and longtime Trump attorney. The agreement, announced in a court filing on September 26, 2025, marks the end of a yearslong saga that saw Giuliani at the center of a storm of conspiracy theories, legal wrangling, and mounting personal consequences.
The terms of the settlement remain shrouded in secrecy. Both Dominion and Giuliani’s representatives have declined to reveal whether any financial payment was made, and the court documents simply state, “Each party shall bear its own attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs.” According to ABC News, the parties agreed to a voluntary dismissal of the case, with all claims and causes of action brought by Dominion against Giuliani dismissed with prejudice—meaning they cannot be refiled.
Dominion first filed suit against Giuliani in January 2021, alleging that he had carried out a “viral disinformation campaign” filled with “demonstrably false” allegations that the company’s voting machines had been used to rig the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden. The company’s complaint detailed how Giuliani promoted these theories across television appearances, podcasts, legislative hearings, and social media, often doubling down even after courts rejected his claims. As The Hill reported, Dominion accused Giuliani of seeking to enrich himself through legal fees and his podcast by spreading these falsehoods.
The lawsuit against Giuliani was part of a broader legal offensive by Dominion, a Colorado-based election technology company, against those who amplified baseless allegations about its role in the 2020 election. According to CBS News, Dominion’s voting machines were used in Georgia, a key battleground state that flipped to Biden and played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the presidential race. The conspiracy theories that followed not only battered Dominion’s reputation but also undermined public confidence in U.S. elections, fueled calls to ban voting machines, and even triggered death threats against election officials.
Despite the lack of evidence, Giuliani continued to accuse Dominion of voter fraud, going so far as to state on his radio show, “So long as you have Dominion, there is clear and present danger” that election results could be rigged. He claimed to have “boxes of evidence to support his claims,” but, as Dominion pointed out in its lawsuit, the Trump campaign’s official complaint about the 2020 election did not include any allegations against Dominion—even though its machines were used in Pennsylvania, another crucial state.
Dominion had attempted to halt Giuliani’s statements before resorting to litigation. In December 2020, the company sent him a letter warning him to stop making false statements about them. However, Giuliani pressed on with his accusations, prompting Dominion to file suit in early 2021. The legal action against Giuliani was just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Dominion also sued Sidney Powell, another former Trump attorney, for $1.3 billion over similar claims. Days before the Giuliani settlement, Dominion reached a confidential agreement with Powell as well, as reported by ABC News.
The fallout from the 2020 election and the subsequent wave of misinformation has been costly for many involved. Dominion has secured several substantial settlements in its quest to hold individuals and media organizations accountable. In April 2023, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion $787 million—one of the largest media defamation payouts in U.S. history—over its coverage of Trump’s false voter fraud claims. Newsmax, another conservative outlet, settled for $67 million. As reported by multiple outlets, these settlements highlight just how significant the legal and financial repercussions have been for those who promoted baseless election theories.
For Giuliani, the settlement with Dominion is only the latest in a string of legal and financial setbacks. Earlier in September 2025, a New York state judge ordered him to pay $1.36 million plus interest to a law firm that had previously represented him in unrelated matters. In January 2025, he reached another confidential settlement in a $148 million defamation case brought by two Georgia election workers whom he had falsely accused of helping Democrats steal the election. According to Newsmax, Giuliani was allowed to keep personal assets such as the World Series rings gifted to him by the New York Yankees, but the cumulative financial toll has been steep.
The legal troubles don’t end there. Giuliani, once celebrated as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership after the September 11 attacks, now faces criminal charges in Georgia related to his alleged efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. His reputation, finances, and standing in the legal community have all taken significant hits—he has been disbarred in both New York and Washington, D.C., for his role in spreading election conspiracy theories.
Dominion’s legal campaign has been about more than just protecting its business interests. As CBS News and other outlets have noted, the company’s actions have been aimed at restoring public trust in the U.S. electoral process and holding accountable those who, in its view, undermined the foundation of American democracy with falsehoods. The settlements with Giuliani, Powell, Fox News, and others send a clear message about the potential consequences of spreading misinformation on such a grand scale.
The confidential nature of the settlements with Giuliani and Powell means that the public may never know the exact terms or whether any monetary damages were paid. However, the dismissals with prejudice ensure that these particular legal battles are over for good. For Dominion, the resolution of these cases allows the company to move forward, albeit with the scars of a tumultuous period in its history.
As for Giuliani, the end of the Dominion lawsuit removes one major legal threat, but his broader legal woes remain unresolved. The former mayor’s journey from celebrated public servant to embattled figure at the center of America’s post-election reckoning serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of misinformation and the enduring consequences of words spoken in the heat of political battle.
