Topline
Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who was scheduled to testify Tuesday at a hearing of the House January 6 committee, rose to prominence after she and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who she counted ballots with in 2020 in Fulton County, Ga.,, were targeted with false accusations circulated by Trump supporters that the two had engaged in election fraud.
Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a former Georgia election worker, is comforted by her mother Ruby Freeman, … [+]
Key Facts
Trump’s campaign accused Moss and Freeman of pulling fake mail-in ballots from suitcases while working on Election Day –– but officials quickly confirmed that these “suitcases” were standard ballot containers and that no fraud had occurred.
Moss and Freeman were subject to intense harassment following the false accusations, and were forced to go into hiding due to death threats and racial slurs.
Moss testified Tuesday that many of the threats she received were racist in nature and “hateful,” including, “be glad it’s 2020 and not 1920.”
Moss also said people pushed their way into her grandmother’s house, claiming they were making a citizen’s arrest.
Trump mentioned Freeman during a call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger –– during which he asked the secretary to “find” enough votes to overturn the election –– repeating her name 18 times and calling her a “professional vote scammer,” a “hustler” and “a known political operative.”
Moss and her Freeman are suing Rudy Giuliani –– who reportedly compared the two women to drug dealers “passing out dope” –– along with right-wing network One America News Network and its top executives for defamation.
Moss, who worked in Fulton County’s elections office until April, continues to be harassed two years after the election.
Key Background
Moss and Freeman’s story is only one example of the wild voting conspiracy theories spread by the Trump campaign, which insisted that thousands of people “double voted” in the election by assuming fake identities or in the name of dead voters.
Crucial Quote
“Wishing death upon me, telling me that I’ll be in jail with my mother,” Moss testified when asked whether she received threats.
Interesting Fact
Among many other threats and instances of harassment, a woman claiming to be Kanye West’s publicist came to Freeman’s house to encourage her to confess to voter fraud.
Further Reading
Trump campaign demonized two Georgia election workers – and death threats followed (Associated Press)
Kanye West publicist pressed Georgia election worker to confess to bogus fraud charges (Associated Press)
2 Georgia poll workers sue Giuliani, OAN over election conspiracy theories (Politico)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliecoleman/2022/06/21/who-is-shaye-moss-former-elections-worker-and-jan-6-witness-received-death-threats-after-trump-campaign-conspiracy/