Remember Ruby Freeman
By Cody Andrus
The story of Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, serves as a grim reminder of the perils of misinformation, particularly when tied to political power. Freeman, a small business owner and poll worker in Fulton County, Georgia, and Moss, her daughter and colleague, became targets of a baseless conspiracy theory that led to harassment and life-altering threats.
In December 2020, then-President Trump and his allies falsely accused Freeman and Moss of engaging in election fraud. Trump’s legal team circulated a video they said showed the pair manipulating ballots during the vote-counting process. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s attorney, claimed the women had "passed USB ports like vials of heroin or cocaine." In reality, as Freeman later clarified, she had been handing her daughter a ginger mint. Despite the debunking of these claims by election officials, including a statement from Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirming the validity of the election, the damage was done.
Freeman recounted to Congress how her life was upended. Her house was surrounded by strangers and online threats poured in. She had to flee her home for two months under police protection. "I’ve lost my name, and I’ve lost my reputation. I’ve lost my sense of security," she added, her voice shaking with emotion. The FBI confirmed the threats Freeman received were credible and had to take steps to ensure her safety.
This targeted harassment stemmed directly from Trump's refusal to accept the election results and his willingness to spread disinformation. Freeman and Moss were subjected to a level of scrutiny and abuse that no individual should ever face, let alone these upmost decent citizens serving as poll workers.
The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, Politico, The Guardian, Reuters, PBS.
