According to Mediate, in a shocking twist, Rudy Giuliani, former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, has been embroiled in a defamation case after making false and defamatory accusations against two Georgia poll workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss. The accusations came to light in a 2021 video, recently uncovered by the House Jan. 6th Committee, in which Giuliani alleged that the mother-daughter duo engaged in illegal activities to steal the election from Trump in Georgia.
Facing the federal court lawsuit for defamation brought forth by Freeman and Moss, Giuliani has admitted, through court documents, that his claims were indeed false and defamatory. Although he does not explicitly admit to the allegations made by the plaintiffs, he does not contest the factual allegations for the purposes of the litigation. The court documents further acknowledge that Giuliani’s statements carried defamatory implications and were “actionable” and “false.”
In the video, Giuliani fervently accused the two women of participating in surreptitious activities on the day of the election, implying they were passing around USB ports like illegal substances. He called for their immediate questioning and the search of their homes and workplaces for evidence of voter fraud and alleged USB ports.
On the day of Ruby Freeman and Shay Freeman Moss and one of the gentlemen quite obviously surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if they’re vials of heroin and cocaine. I mean, it’s ah, it’s obvious to anyone who’s a criminal investigator or prosecutor. They are engaged in surreptitious, illegal activity again that day. And after a week ago and they’re still walking around Georgia. Why? Should have been, they should have been questioned already. Their places of work, their homes should have been searched for evidence of ballots, evidence of USB ports, for evidence of voter fraud.
However, in a subsequent congressional testimony, Moss refuted Giuliani’s claims, stating that she had merely handed her mother a ginger mint, not a USB drive as he had asserted. The unfounded accusations have had severe consequences for Freeman and Moss, with NPR reporting that the women received racist death threats, forcing them to conceal their identities due to being named by Giuliani and former President Trump in connection with alleged illegal activities during the election.
Michael J. Gottlieb, the lawyer representing Freeman and Moss, expressed satisfaction with Giuliani’s court filing, noting that the stipulation admitted the truth they had always known: that Freeman and Moss had dutifully fulfilled their civic duties during the 2020 presidential election in strict compliance with the law. The lawyer emphasized that the allegations of election fraud against the two women, made by Giuliani and Trump, were baseless from the very beginning.
Giuliani’s stipulation concedes what we have always known to be true — Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss honorably performed their civic duties in the 2020 presidential election in full compliance with the law; and the allegations of election fraud he and former-President Trump made against them have been false since day one. While certain issues, including damages, remain to be decided by the court, our clients are pleased with this major milestone in their fight for justice, and look forward to presenting what remains of this case at trial.
