By Chloe Kim
BBC News, New York
Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's former lawyer, has conceded he made "false" statements by accusing two Georgia election workers of ballot fraud.
But in a court filing, Mr Giuliani also maintained that his statements were protected by freedom of speech.
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss testified to Congress last year that they received threats over the false claims.
The ex-New York City mayor could still face sanctions from the court, including legal fees and costs.
The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by Ms Freeman and Ms Moss, who are mother and daughter respectively.
The legal action notes that Mr Giuliani and others shared a video that wrongly claimed to show the two altering ballots while they were working for the Fulton County Board of Elections in 2020.
In a two-page concession, filed on Tuesday night, Mr Giuliani said his statements were "false" and admitted his remarks "carry meaning that is defamatory per se".
Mr Giuliani, though, argued that his statements were "constitutionally protected" under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
He did not acknowledge in the filing causing any damages to the mother and daughter.
His lawyer, Joseph Sibley, told the court: "While Giuliani does not admit to plaintiffs' allegations, he - for purposes of this litigation only - does not contest the factual allegations."
Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Mr Giuliani, said in a statement: "This is a legal issue, not a factual issue.
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