Who are Shaye Moss and Lady Ruby? What did they say when speaking to the January 6th Committee?
Georgia election worker, Shaye Moss and her mother, detailed their harrassment after Donald Trump described her Lady Ruby as a professional election scammer.
The fourth hearing of the House Select Committee on January 6th closed with testimony from Shayne Moss, a former election worker in Fulton County, Georgia.
Ms. Moss worked at the Department of Elections and Registrations in Georgia from 2017 to 2022. In her role she was responsible for handling voter applications and absentee ballot requests. On Election Day in 2020 she was tasked with processing ballots.
These responsibilities made her a target of President Trump as he peddled dangerous claims of fraud that more than 400,000 illegal votes had been counted Georgia. What shocked many was that not only Ms. Moss, but her mother, Ms. Ruby Freeman, “became the target of nasty lies spread by President Trump and his allies.”
Shayne Moss details her experience in the wake of the 2020 election
Ms. Moss spoke to the Committee about why she went into public service, saying that it was her grandma who taught her about the importance of voting. As a Black woman in the United States, Ms. Moss wanted to ensure that people like her had their voices heard.
Aftering becoming a target of the president’s wrath, she exaplined that never in her life had she delt with such a crisis. Shortly after the race was called in Biden’s favor, Rudy Giuliani, a close Trump ally and others began to make false claims about Ms. Moss and Ms. Freeman. These claims were based on a video that they said showed that the two women “were somehow involved in a plot to kick out observes, bring suitcases of false ballots for Biden into the arena, and then run through machines multiple times.”
None of these claims here true. However, the impacts of these words have had real consequences.
Ms. Moss and Ms. Freeman began to receive death threats and experienced harassment at their homes, online, and in public, much of which was racist in nature.
When describing how it felt to be targeted by the President of the United States, Ms. Moss said “It felt horrible. It felt like it was all my fault.”
Ms. Moss, along with all workers in her department during the 2020 election, have quit their jobs after they and their families have experienced terrifying levels of harassment.
Donald Trump attacked ordinary people and threatening their safety
Ms. Freeman, known in her community as Lady Ruby, was intervied by the Select Committee and clips of her tesitmony were shown as told them abot the devastating impacts the President’s lies about her have had on her life. Donald Trump lied publicly about Lady Ruby, calling her a “professional election scammer.”
Before the election, Ms. Ruby ran a successful business and was an active and beloved member of her community. After the president made these false claims, her reputation has been destroyed and she fears for her safety.
Powerful closing words from Lady Ruby
The committee gave the final word to Shaye’s mother who spoke about her pain and fear after being a target of Donald Trump’s public bullying. “The President of the United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one,” said Lady Ruby.
He failed in that responsibility and when he thought he would lose, he used his power to make vial and unfounded claims against those “who stood up to help Fulton County run an election in the middle of the pandemic,” including her daughter.