Rudy Giuliani admitted Tuesday evening he was lying when he repeatedly accused two women, a mother and daughter, of committing election fraud during the 2020 election count.
In the aftermath of the election, Giuliani repeatedly held up Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss as examples of widespread election fraud.
Giuliani alleged video excerpts showed the two women pulling “thousands” of ballots from suitcases hidden under a table and illegally feeding them through voting machines at their vote-counting station at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.
“The video tape doesn’t lie. Fulton County Democrats stole the election. It’s now beyond doubt,” he posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Fulton County and Georgia officials immediately debunked the accusations, explaining the supposed “suitcases” were actually standard containers used to secure the mail-in ballots which had been opened and prepared for counting earlier in the night in full view of observers.
Instead of pausing to consider the facts, Giuliani doubled down, embellishing the story by saying Freeman and Moss, both of whom are Black, were drug dealers and requested Georgia state legislators search their homes.
“So I lied. Big whoop,” we imagine the former federal prosecutor and New York City mayor saying, oblivious of the effect his accusations have had on the women, both of whom were harassed, in person and online, including death threats.
“I’ve lost my name, and I’ve lost my reputation,” Ms. Freeman, a veteran poll worker, testified last June before the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Ms. Freeman said she was forced to move from her home of 20 years and that “There is nowhere I feel safe.”
Moss said one message she received said, “Be glad it’s 2020 and not 1920,” in an obvious reference to lynchings.
In his two-page declaration released Tuesday evening, Giuliani admitted his statements about the women were false.
What’s sadly lacking is any hint of contrition.
Giuliani has refused to admit the rampage against Freeman and Moss has caused them any damage.
Instead, he maintains the First Amendment protects his right to lie and as such is justified.
Giuliani is right up to a point. The First Amendment does give us the right to rant on street corners that the world is coming to an end.
But it also is designed to protect those who may be damaged by our words, such as Freeman and Moss, who, rightly so, are suing Giuliani for defamation.
