Washington — A former ballot supervisor in Atlanta took the witness stand on Tuesday in a defamation lawsuit against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. Wandrea' ArShaye "Shaye" Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, are suing Giuliani for millions in damages after he baselessly accused them of participating in election fraud.
Moss testified about the emotional toll the online threats and lies have taken on her daily life. She described how the spread of Giuliani's falsehoods forced her into a life of fear, contributed to her failure to be promoted at work, and led to her socially isolated existence.
During her testimony, Moss tearfully expressed her deepest fear of her son finding her or her mother hanging in front of their house.
Amidst claims of election fraud, two election workers found themselves in the political spotlight. These claims were being pushed by Trump and his allies across the country, particularly in the swing state of Georgia where Mr. Biden emerged as the winner. Unbeknownst to them, these two workers became a focal point for those who believed that the election had been stolen from Trump.
Moss, a 39-year-old mother who served as an interim absentee supervisor in Fulton County during the 2020 election, testified that she and her team had diligently counted ballots and scrutinized numbers to ensure the accuracy of the vote count. The COVID-19 pandemic had led to a surge in mail-in voting across the state, and Moss was responsible for overseeing the ballot count.
"The election went well," she confidently stated on Tuesday. "I was so proud of myself and my team."
However, Moss' perception changed about a month after the election. On December 4, 2020, Giuliani shared a security camera video on social media. The video purportedly showed Moss and her mother, along with other election workers, engaging in fraudulent activities inside the State Farm Arena. Giuliani's claims were false, but they had a significant impact on Moss and her mother.
Following a thorough investigation by Georgia officials, it has been determined that the allegations made against the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections and two election workers were baseless and without evidence. The review found no indication of any type of fraud, debunking the claims that were made.
However, the damage had already been done. After being singled out in a video by Rudy Giuliani, the two election workers, Moss and Freeman, faced online threats and harassment that drastically changed their lives. Moss even had to change her appearance and eventually leave her job due to the impact of the false claims made against her.
Moss expressed her frustration and hurt in court, questioning how someone in a position of power like Giuliani could spread lies without any knowledge or evidence to support his claims. She described the experience as hurtful, unfair, and untrue.
The aftermath of the false allegations also revealed the ugly side of racism, with Moss receiving messages and voicemails filled with racist language. One message even referenced the limitations placed on black women in 1920, highlighting the ignorance and bigotry that still exists today.
In the federal trial, the focus is on determining the amount of damages that Giuliani will be required to pay Freeman and Moss for defamation. Judge Beryl Howell has already ruled that the former Trump attorney is responsible for the false claims made against the pair, and the jury has been instructed to assume the validity of many of these claims.
Giuliani has previously admitted to making false statements about Freeman and Moss, alleging their involvement in voter fraud during the election. However, he argues that his statements were protected by the Constitution as free speech.
During the opening statements, Giuliani's defense attorney, Joseph Sibley, emphasized that his client did not intend for anyone to threaten Freeman and Moss and was not involved in any correspondence related to the attacks. Sibley acknowledged that the jury would see evidence of damages and stated that he would ask them to award a fair and proportional amount at the end of the trial.
Before the allegations were made against Giuliani for targeting her online, Freeman had a different perspective on life. She testified, "My life was full of excitement. I had a great social life and was never afraid to go out alone." However, everything changed when the videos went viral and the threats started pouring in. "Now, I constantly feel anxious. I have uncontrollable sweaty episodes and often find myself in dark moments. I no longer have the courage to go out alone," she admitted.
Moss, on the other hand, expressed her distress during her testimony, saying, "I have become a completely different person, someone who is deeply troubled. I don't want anyone to see me with my mom anymore."
Both Moss and Freeman have claimed that they were subjected to death threats, racial slurs, and intimidating visits to Freeman's home in Georgia. Moss revealed that people even showed up at her grandmother's house on New Year's Day 2021, attempting to "arrest" her. Since then, Moss has fallen into a cycle of anxiety and overeating, leading to depression.
Moss shared her concerns about her teenage son, stating, "I felt like the worst mother for exposing him to this, having him endure it day after day." She revealed that her son's academic performance suffered greatly due to the threats, causing him to fail all of his classes.
During his statement on Monday, Giuliani claimed, "They were involved in manipulating the votes." Moss referenced these comments in her testimony, which caught the attention of Judge Howell, who expressed concern about Giuliani's statements.
