In a gripping and emotional testimony during the defamation trial against Rudy Giuliani, a former Georgia election worker, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, described the terrifying ordeal she and her mother, Ruby Freeman, endured after false claims spread about their involvement in rigging the 2020 election. Moss recounted receiving a barrage of racist and threatening messages, including accusations of treason and being called derogatory names. She tearfully shared her fears of being physically harmed, feeling as though someone would come and hang her, with no one able to intervene.

The trial, taking place in Washington's federal courthouse, aims to determine the amount of damages Giuliani will have to pay Moss and Freeman for spreading conspiracy theories. Giuliani has already been held liable for defamation, as he falsely claimed that the women committed fraud while counting votes. The trial comes as Giuliani faces criminal charges in Georgia related to his attempts to overturn Trump's election loss.

Moss revealed that she changed her appearance in an attempt to hide, as Giuliani and other allies of former President Donald Trump used surveillance footage to falsely accuse her and her mother of voter fraud. She expressed her deep anguish and stated that she felt her life was in danger. Her testimony shed light on the emotional toll the baseless claims took on her mental health, causing nightmares, panic attacks, and depression. Moss also disclosed how the false accusations forced her to leave her job, which she loved.

The emotional testimony followed Freeman's own account of the threatening and racist messages she received after Giuliani tweeted a video of her counting votes. Freeman described having to flee her home due to the racist threats and strangers banging on her door. Her online boutique was inundated with threatening messages, some of which mentioned lynching. The harassment became so severe that Freeman eventually had to sell her house, and she even had to live out of her car for some time. The relentless drumbeat of harassment made friends and church members afraid to associate with her, causing her to feel isolated and frightened.

The court also heard from an expert witness, Northwestern University professor Ashlee Humphreys, who testified about the damage caused by Giuliani's defamatory statements, which were viewed up to 56 million times by sympathetic individuals. Humphreys estimated that repairing the women's reputations alone could cost as much as $47 million. Moss and Freeman are seeking emotional and punitive damages in the tens of millions of dollars.

Giuliani's defense team attempted to challenge Humphreys' methodology and questioned the extent of Giuliani's personal responsibility for spreading conspiracy theories. However, Giuliani himself continued to make unfounded allegations against the women, insisting that his claims were true. This prompted the judge to scold Giuliani for his defamatory statements made outside the courthouse and question the inconsistency between his lawyer's opening statements praising Moss and Freeman as "good people" and Giuliani's repeated unfounded allegations of voter fraud against them.

As the trial unfolds, Giuliani also faces criminal charges in Georgia related to his efforts to overturn Trump's election loss. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied any wrongdoing. The defamation trial will now determine the amount of damages Giuliani will have to pay the two women for the harm caused by his false claims. Moss and Freeman's testimonies shed light on the immense emotional toll they have endured as a result of Giuliani's baseless accusations, leaving their lives upended and filled with fear.