Georgia election board dismisses ‘unsubstantiated’ 2020 fraud claim

The State Election Board in Georgia on Tuesday dismissed a long-running case into alleged election malfeasance in 2020 after an investigation found that allegations against two Fulton County poll workers “were false and unsubstantiated.”

“We remain diligent and dedicated to looking into real claims of voter fraud,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a press release. “We are glad the state election board finally put this issue to rest. False claims and knowingly false allegations made against these election workers have done tremendous harm. Election workers deserve our praise for being on the front lines.”

Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ‘Shaye’ Moss were election workers in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election and gained national attention after social media posts surfaced that falsely claimed to show them committing election fraud. 

These false allegations were furthered by former President Trump’s then-attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who claimed to have video evidence showing Freeman and Moss scanning ballots hidden in suitcases underneath tables at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, according to the report of the investigation. He also made these claims before Georgia lawmakers. 

The election workers brought a defamation claim against Giuliani, which is still pending in court. One America News Network also advanced these false claims and ultimately paid a settlement and issued an on-air retraction of the allegations. 

Trump referenced these allegations, too, in his now-infamous call to Raffensperger in 2020, when he was recorded asking the secretary of state to find him votes. Trump reportedly mentioned Ross 18 times.

The allegations were wholly debunked by the investigation in Georgia, which involved investigators from Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office and special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The three law enforcement agencies each conducted independent and simultaneous interviews of witnesses involved and independently reviewed the “entire unedited security video footage of the events in question.”

Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that the social media posts in question were created by a third party who “admitted he created a fake account and confirmed the content that was posted on the account was fake,” according to the investigation’s report. 

They further concluded that “all allegations made against [the two election workers] were unsubstantiated and found to have no merit.”

The extent of the damage caused by these fabricated claims was on display last year, when the mother-and-daughter duo testified before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol. 

Moss, who gave live testimony, fought back tears when describing the harm the allegations has caused her, saying, “It’s turned my life upside down. I no longer give out my business card. I don’t transfer calls. I don’t want anyone knowing my name … I don’t go anywhere with my mom. I don’t go to the grocery store at all. I haven’t been anywhere at all. I’ve gained about 60 pounds.” 

In private testimony to the committee, which aired at the same hearing, Freeman shared the same sentiment.

“Do you know how it feels to have the President of the United States target you?” Freeman said in her deposition. “The president of the United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one.”