through: SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press
Posted: Dec 23, 2021 / 5:47 PM EST
Updated: Dec 23, 2021 / 5:47 PM EST
ATLANTA (AP) – Two Georgia election workers filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing a right-wing cable news broadcaster and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of defaming them by falsely claiming they committed voting fraud during the 2020 election .
It was Fulton County’s second defamation lawsuit earlier this month by campaign workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss for debunked allegations that they imported suitcases of illegal ballot papers and committed other election fraud in an attempt to change the outcome of the Georgia presidential election. The couple, a mother and daughter, sued conservative website The Gateway Pundit on Dec. 2.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, says One America News Network continues to accuse Freeman and Moss of wrongdoing even after Georgia election officials disproved allegations against them. Giuliani, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, appeared frequently on the network and, along with OAN, “published and reinforced the lie,” according to the lawsuit filed with the federal court in Washington.
An email to One America News Network and a member of the family who had started it wasn’t immediately returned. Messages to a Giuliani-related phone number and email address were also not returned immediately.
Annoyed by his narrow loss in a traditionally Republican state, former President Donald Trump focused intensely on Georgia, making unsubstantiated claims that widespread fraud led to Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
In a phone call with Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, Trump urged Republican officials to “find” votes for him, mentioning Freeman by name and calling her “a voice cheater, professional voice cheater and hustler.”
Freeman worked as a temporary election worker during the 2020 election, checking the signatures on the postal ballot papers and preparing them for counting and processing. Moss has worked for the Fulton County’s electoral department since 2012, overseeing the postal vote during last year’s election.
The lawsuit states that Freeman and Moss received “an immediate onslaught of violent and racial threats and harassment” and “are afraid of leading a normal life” as a result of making false claims against them. It is seeking punitive damages as well as a court order urging the defendants to remove false statements about Freeman and Moss from their websites and other media outlets.
