Georgia election employee says she feared for her life over fraud lies in Giuliani defamation case

Scared for her life after Rudolph W. Giuliani and different Trump allies falsely accused her of fraud, Georgia election employee Wandrea “Shaye” Moss instructed jurors Tuesday she seldom leaves her residence, suffers from panic assaults and battles nightmares introduced on by a barrage of threatening and racist messages.

Years later, she nonetheless lives in concern that the lies will get her killed, she stated.

Moss took the witness stand on the second day of the defamation trial that can decide how a lot Giuliani should pay Moss and her mom, Ruby Freeman, for spreading a conspiracy concept that they rigged the state’s 2020 election outcomes. Moss sobbed as she testified that her life was turned the other way up by the accusations, although they have been shortly debunked by state officers.

Moss’ attorneys displayed a number of of the graphic messages accusing her of treason and extra that she obtained after Giuliani in December 2020 falsely accused staff on the State Farm Enviornment in Atlanta of tampering with ballots. Moss instructed jurors that she was a bubbly, outgoing individual earlier than the conspiracy theories started, however since then she’s been caught in a lonely cycle of crying and nightmares.

“I’m most fearful of my son discovering me and or my mother hanging in entrance of our home on a tree, having to get information in school that his mother was killed,” the 39-year-old stated. At one level in January 2021, she stated, somebody got here to her grandmother’s door threatening to make a “citizen arrest.”

Moss and her mom are searching for tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in damages from Giuliani within the defamation case on the identical time that the previous New York Metropolis mayor is getting ready to defend himself in opposition to legal prices in a separate case in Georgia. Giuliani has pleaded not responsible within the legal case that accuses him and others of conspiring to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The decide overseeing the defamation case has already discovered Giuliani liable, and Giuliani has acknowledged in courtroom that he made public feedback falsely claiming Freeman and Moss dedicated fraud whereas counting ballots. The one challenge remaining within the trial is the quantity of damages Giuliani should pay the ladies.

The ladies’s attorneys estimated that reputational damages may attain $47 million, and prompt emotional and punitive damages on prime of that might be “tens of tens of millions.” Giuliani’s lawyer has stated any award must be a lot much less.

Moss, who additionally testified earlier than the U.S. Home Committee that investigated the Capitol assault, described being introduced into her director’s workplace after Giuliani made the claims throughout a listening to earlier than Georgia lawmakers. Moss didn’t have any concept that lies about them have been being unfold and thought her director wished to acknowledge her for her election work or give her a promised promotion, she instructed jurors. As an alternative the temper within the room was somber, and shortly she realized the true cause for the assembly.

“I’m proven these movies, these lies, every thing that had been occurring that I had no clue about,” Moss stated.

Moss stated she went residence that night time, scared and confused, and will solely watch because the offended messages poured in. She received her lengthy blond hair lower off and dyed the following day, attempting to reclaim some anonymity. Proven a video in courtroom of Giuliani talking on his on-line present a few false suitcase poll conspiracy, she stated: “How can somebody with a lot energy go public and speak about issues that he clearly has no clue about? It simply apparent that it’s lies.”

Her 14-year-old outdated son was utilizing her cellphone as a hotspot to attend on-line lessons when the harassment started in December 2020, since she couldn’t afford web at residence, she stated. Moss stated folks discovered her quantity on-line and began sending a deluge of calls and messages, severing the connection to his digital lessons simply as finals have been arising.

Giuliani’s lawyer, Joseph Sibley, argues there may be little proof Giuliani was straight accountable for the threats and harassment. He has additionally prompt that the damages may financially destroy his consumer, saying the ladies are searching for the “civil equal of the dying penalty.”

Giuliani is predicted to testify within the trial, despite the fact that something he says on the witness stand could also be used in opposition to him within the legal case.

Moss’ testimony got here hours after the decide scolded Giuliani for feedback made outdoors the federal courthouse in Washington on Monday wherein he insisted his claims in regards to the ladies have been true.

“Once I testify, the entire story shall be definitively clear that what I stated was true, and that, no matter occurred to them — which is unlucky about different folks overreacting — every thing I stated about them is true,” Giuliani instructed reporters as he left the courthouse on Monday.

Giuliani added that Moss and Freeman have been “engaged in altering votes.” When a reporter pushed again, saying there was no proof of that, Giuliani replied: “You’re rattling proper there may be … Keep tuned.”

U.S. District Choose Beryl Howell warned Giuliani’s lawyer that his consumer’s remarks amounted to “defamatory statements about them but once more.” The decide was incredulous, asking Giuliani’s lawyer in regards to the contradiction of his opening statements calling Freeman and Moss “good folks” however then the previous mayor repeating unfounded allegations of voter fraud.

“How are we purported to reconcile that?” she requested the lawyer.

Sibley conceded her level and instructed the decide he mentioned the feedback together with his consumer, however added: “I can’t management every thing he does.” He additionally argued that the 79-year-old mayor’s age and well being considerations make lengthy days in courtroom difficult.