Ruby Freeman Testifies in Defamation Trial Against Rudy Giuliani
Washington — Ruby Freeman, one of the Georgia women at the center of a conspiracy theory alleging widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election, took the witness stand on Wednesday in her civil defamation trial against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. Freeman tearfully testified that she has been subjected to a barrage of racist and threatening messages since Giuliani spread lies about her online.
Freeman revealed that she has received hundreds of messages, including phone calls, emails, messages, and letters, at her home in the months following the presidential election. She also shared that nearly a dozen people have come to her home looking for her, even using bullhorns to call for her.
"This all started with just one tweet," Freeman said, her voice trembling. "They not only messed up my name, but they also messed up my business."
One disturbing message sent to Freeman's business read, "Ruby Freeman, I hope the Federal Government hangs you and your daughter from the Capitol dome you treasonous piece of s***! I pray that I will be sitting close enough to hear your necks snap."
Giuliani Found Liable for Defaming Mother and Daughter
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled that former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, is liable for defaming mother and daughter, Freeman and Wandrea' ArShaye "Shaye" Moss. The judge entered a default judgment against Giuliani and the pair is now seeking financial damages for defamation.
Giuliani has admitted to making false statements about Freeman and Moss, specifically regarding their involvement in voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. However, he argues that his statements were constitutionally protected speech.
A jury consisting of eight individuals will now determine the amount of financial compensation Giuliani will have to pay to Freeman and Moss. The mother and daughter are seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages.
Moss testified before the jury on Tuesday, stating that the absentee ballot processing team she oversaw, which included her mother, did an excellent job examining the votes at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. However, their lives were negatively impacted when conservative outlet, the Gateway Pundit, and Giuliani falsely identified them in security camera videos of the ballot processing facility and linked them to voter fraud.
During her testimony, Freeman — who identified herself as a proud American and business owner — said she was a temporary election worker for Fulton County, Georgia, during the 2020 election, but it was not until December 2020 that she and her business started receiving racist death threats.
One of the threatening messages read, "Cut a deal with uncle Rudy Giuliani," implying that Freeman should collaborate with Giuliani. Freeman interpreted this message as a threat to harm her, stating, "I took it as they were gonna cut me up, put me in a trash bag and take me out to my street. I felt as if I was terrorized."
In Giuliani's Defense: Distancing from Threats
In his opening statements on Monday, Joseph Sibley, defense attorney for Rudy Giuliani, made it clear that his client did not intend for anyone to threaten individuals like Freeman and Moss. Sibley acknowledged that the jury would see evidence of damages and stated that he would ask them to award a fair and proportional number of damages against Giuliani at the end of the trial.
However, on Wednesday, Freeman revealed a post-election communications strategy from Giuliani's team. The strategy involved using her as a key component to cast doubt on the 2020 election. The plan referred to a video of Freeman at the Fulton County ballot counting center, falsely accusing her of "ballot stuffing." Freeman believes that this plan was set up in case former President Trump did not win, with her being made the "culprit."
Under direct examination, a witness recalled hearing someone identify her on a call with a government official in January 2021. In that conversation, the person referred to her as a "professional vote scammer."
"How mean. How evil. I just was devastated," the witness said. "He had no clue what he was talking about."
The witness also mentioned that she no longer uses her real name when speaking with people in order to avoid being recognized. "People were afraid to be associated with me."
Plaintiffs also called another witness to the stand to analyze the online impressions of the claims made by someone else, the ripple effect of their spread, and to quantify potential damages.
The witness detailed her methodology for the court, testifying that a multimillion-dollar restoration campaign could help the individuals repair their reputations.
The witness conceded that in this case, she was not tasked with examining the impact of the initial identification of the individuals by other news media on their reputation, but said she was involved in separate litigation on the matter.
The defense attorney did not cross-examine the witness during the testimony, and the plaintiffs rested their case.
The person accused of making the claims stated that he intends to take the stand in his own defense on a later date.
