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Jan. 6 hearing takeaways: Former President Trump’s ‘playbook’ to overturn election

do you swear our firm on the penalty of perjury? That the testimony you’re about to give is the truth. The whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help you God, thank you. Please be seated. Let the record reflect that the witness answered in the affirmative. MS walker. MS Moss, thank you very much for being here today. I understand that you are here along with your mother today. Would you like to introduce your mama? Hi ma uh Miss Moss Today. We’ll be asking you about some of the threats that you received following the 2020 election Since you’ve been an election worker for over 10 years. I want to ask you in your decade of service, have you ever experienced threats like these before? Uh Don’t be nervous. Just understand. So, uh I want to make sure that the record reflects that you’ve done it for quite *** while and you never received *** threat and your answer was no, thank you Pursuant to section 5 C8 of the house resolution 503, the chair recognizes the gentleman from California mr Schiff for questions. Good afternoon Miss Moss, thank you for being here. I understand that you were employed by the Fulton County registration and elections department for more than 10 years and I understand that you love that job. Please tell us what made you so fond of the work that you did. Um Well I’ve always um been told by my grandmother how important it is to vote and how people before me, *** lot of people, older people in my family did not have that, right? So what I loved most um, about my job were the older voters. Um younger people could usually do everything from their phone or go online, but the older voters like to call, they like to talk to you, they like to get my card. They like to know that every election I’m here. Um, and like even college students, *** lot of parents, um, trusting me to make sure their child does not have to drive home, they’ll get an absentee ballot. They can vote. And I really found pleasure in that. I like being the one that um, you know, if someone can’t navigate my voter page or you know, they want *** new precinct car and they don’t have *** copy machine or computer, all of that. I could put it in the mail for them. Um, I was excited always about sending out all the absentee ballots for the elderly, disabled people. Um, I even remember driving to an hospital to give someone her absentee application. Um, that’s, that’s what I love the most. So you really enjoyed helping people vote and participate and uh, and that was something the right to vote that your grandmother taught you was precious. Well, I know the events that we’re here to talk about today are incredibly difficult to relive your proud service as an election worker took *** dramatic turn on the day that Rudy Giuliani publicized the video of you and your mother counting ballots on election night? President trump? Rudy Giuliani and others claimed on the basis of this video that you and your mother were somehow involved in *** plot to kick out observers bring suitcases of false ballots for biden into the arena and then run them through the machines multiple times. None of that was true, was it? None of it? I’d like to show you some of the statements that Rudy Giuliani made in *** second hearing before the Georgia state legislators *** week after that video clip from state Farm Arena was first circulated by mr Giuliani and President trump. I want to advise viewers that these statements are completely false and also deeply disturbing tape earlier in the day of Ruby Freeman and Chez Freeman Morris and one Other Gentleman quite obviously Surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if their vials of heroin or cocaine. I mean it’s our state, it’s obvious to anyone who is *** criminal investigator or prosecutor, they are engaged in surreptitious illegal activity again that day and after *** week ago and they’re still walking around Georgia. Why should have been, there should have been, should have been questioned already. Uh, there are places of work. Their homes should have been searched for evidence of balance evidence of USB ports for evidence of voter fraud. That video was from Rudy Giuliani’s appearance at *** Georgia state Senate hearing on december 10? How did you become aware, how did you first become aware that Rudy Giuliani, the president’s lawyer was accusing you and your mother of *** crime. I was at work like always. Um and the former chief Mr jones asked me to come to his office and um when I went to his office, the former director Mr Baron was in there and they showed me *** video on their computer. Um it was just like *** very short clip of us working at State Farm and it had someone on the video like talking um over the video just saying that we were doing things that we weren’t supposed to do, just lying um throughout the video. And that’s when I first found out about it? And were their social media posts that they showed you responding to those false claims? Well, um when when I saw the video, of course the first thing that I said was like why why why why are they doing this, what’s going on? And um they you know, just told me that trump and his allies were not satisfied with the outcome of the election and they were getting *** lot of threats and um being harassed online and asked me, you know have I been receiving anything and I need to check on my mom. Yeah, I told them, you know, I was like where where have they, you know, where have you been getting these threats? I don’t believe I have any. And um Mr jones told me like they’re attacking his facebook and I don’t really use facebook. I have one. So I went to the facebook app and I’m just kind of panicky at this point because this is never happened to me and my mom is involved and I’m like her only child. So I’m just asking like where are the messages? All I see is the fees like how do you get to the messages? And he said it’s another icon on your phone that says messenger. And I went to that icon and it was just *** lot of horrible things there and those horrible things that they include threats. Yes, *** lot of threats um wishing death upon me telling me that you know, I’ll be in jail with my mother and saying things like Be Glad It’s 2020 and Not 1920. Yeah. Were *** lot of these threats and and vile comments, racist in nature. *** lot of them were racist. *** lot of them were just hateful. Yes sir. In one of the videos we just watched. Mr Giuliani accused you and your mother of passing some sort of USB drive to each other. What was your mom actually handing you on that video? *** ginger mint? It wasn’t just Rudy Giuliani, we heard President trump make these false allegations repeatedly during his call with secretary raffensperger, let’s listen to *** portion of what he had to say about you and your mother, we had At least 18,000 that’s on tape. We had them counted Very painstakingly 18,000 voters having to do with Ruby Freeman, that’s she’s *** vote scammer, *** professional vote scammer and hustler Donald Trump attacked you and your mother using her name 18 times on that call 18 times. Mr ross. Can you describe what you experienced listening to former president trump attack you and your mother in *** call with the Georgia Secretary of State? I felt horrible. I felt like it was all my fault. Like if I would have never decided to be an elections worker, like I could have done anything else, but that’s what I decided to do and now people are lying and spreading rumors and lies and attacking my mom, my only child going to my grandmother’s house, her only grandchild and and my kid is just um I felt so bad, I just felt bad for my mom and I felt horrible for picking this job and being the one that always wants to help and always there never missing out one election. I just felt like it was, it was my fault for putting my family in this situation. Well it wasn’t your fault. Your mother was kind enough to come speak with us earlier. Let’s listen to her story in her words, my name is ruby Freeman, I’ve always believed that when God says that he will make your name great, but This is not the way it was supposed to be. I could have never imagined the events that followed the presidential election 2020 for my entire professional life. I was lady ruby, my community in Georgia where I was born and lived my whole life, knew me as lady ruby. I built my own business around that name. Low ruby’s unique treasures, *** pop up shop catering to ladies with unique fashions. I wore *** shirt that proudly proclaimed that I was and I am lady ruby. Actually I had that shirt on. I had that shirt in every color. I wore that shirt on election day 2020. I haven’t worn it since and I’ll never wear it again. Now I won’t even introduce my self by my name anymore. I get nervous when I bump into someone I know in the grocery store who says my name, I’m worried about who’s listening. I get nervous when I have to give my name for food orders. I’m always concerned of who’s around me. I’ve lost my name and I’ve lost my reputation. I’ve lost my sense of security All because *** group of people starting with number 45 and his ally Rudy Giuliani decided to scapegoat me and my daughter shay to push their own lives about how the presidential election was stolen. MS Moss, How is this experience of being targeted by the former president and his allies affected your life. This turned my life upside down. Um, I no longer give out my business card. Don’t transfer calls. Um, don’t want anyone knowing my name. I don’t want to go anywhere with my mom because she might yell my name out over the grocery aisle or something. I don’t go to the grocery store at all. Haven’t been anywhere. Um at all. I’ve gained about 60 lb. I just don’t do nothing anymore. I don’t want to go anywhere *** second guess everything that I do. Oh, it’s affected my life in ***, in *** major way. Every way. All because of lies for me, doing my job. Same thing I’ve been doing forever. Your mother also told this committee about how she had to leave her own home for her safety and go into hiding After the FBI told her that it would not be safe for her there before January six and until the inauguration. Let’s listen to *** clip of her story in her own words. Around the week of january 6th, the FBI informed me that I needed to leave my home for safety. Um and I left my home for safety. Around that time, understood how long did you stay out? Did you remain outside of your home for your own safety? I stayed away from my home for approximately two months. It was horrible. I felt homeless. I felt, you know, I can’t believe I can’t believe this person has caused this much damage to me and my family, Um to have to leave my home. That I’ve lived there for 21 years and you know, I’m having to have my neighbors watch out for me, you know, um and I have to go and stay with somebody. It was hard, it was horrible and that your conversation with the FBI about needing to leave your home for your own things, you’re perhaps recommending it. Um Do you remember was there *** specific threat that prompted that or was it the accumulation of threats that you have received? What prompted it was um was getting ready to january 6th was about to come and they did not want me to be at home because of all the threats and everything that I had gotten, they didn’t want me to be there in fear of, you know, the people were coming to my home and I had *** lot of that, so they didn’t want me to be there just in case something happened. I asked, how long am I gonna have to be at home? They said at least until the inauguration. MS Moss, I understand that people once showed up at your grandmother’s house, tell us about that experience. Um I received *** call from my grandmother. It’s moment is my everything. I’ve never even heard her or seen her cry ever in my life. And um she called me screaming at the top of her lungs like Shay Shay oh my God Shane just freaking me out saying that um there were people at her home and they, you know, they knocked on the door and of course she opened it and seeing who was there, who it was and they just started pushing their way through claiming that they were coming in to make *** citizen’s arrest. They needed to find me and my mom, they knew were there um and she was just screaming and didn’t know what to do and I wasn’t, they’re so you know, I just felt so helpless and so horrible for her and she um was just screaming, I told her to close the door, don’t open the door for for anyone and um No she’s *** 70 something, I won’t say your old woman and she, she doesn’t like having restrictions, she wants to answer the door, she likes to get her steps in walking around the neighborhood and I had to tell her like you can’t do that, you have to be safe. Um You know, she would tell me that night um people would just continuously send pizzas over and over to her home um you know, and they were expecting her to pay for these large amounts of pizzas and she went through *** lot that she didn’t have to and once again it made me just so horrible in addition to the personal impact this experience has had on you and your family. one of the things that I find most disturbing is how these lies discourage long time election workers from continuing to do this important work. Tell us if you would of the other election workers shown in that state farm Arena video and their supervisors. How many are still election workers in Fulton County? Um there is no permanent election worker or supervisor in that video that’s still there. And did you end up leaving? You’re leaving your position as well? Yes, I I left MS Moss, I want to thank you for coming in to speak with us and thank you for your service to our democracy. What we have just played is *** truly horrible and appalling sample but just *** sample of the things that were said about you and your mother fall in the election. Want to say how very sorry I think we all are for what you’ve gone through and tragically you’re not alone. Other election workers around the country have also been the subject of lies and threats. No election workers should be subject to such heinous treatment just for doing their job. With your permission. I would like to give your mother the last word. Yes. Mm We’re just gonna play the tape. There is nowhere I feel safe nowhere. Do you know how it feels to have the President of the United States to target you. The President of the United States is supposed to represent every american Not to Target one but he targeted me. Lady Rudy, *** small business owner, *** mother, *** proud american citizen who stand up to help Fulton County running the election in the middle of the pandemic. Thank you Miss Moss, thank you Miss Freeman. Or is America now knows her lady ruby for your service to Fulton county Georgia, our country and our democracy. Mr chairman. I yield back.

A House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection is turning to former President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign on state and local officials to overturn his 2020 election loss.In its fourth hearing this month, the panel is examining how Trump focused on a few swing states, directly urging officials to decertify President Joe Biden’s victory or find additional votes for himself. It was part of a larger scheme that also involved dozens of lawsuits, pressure on Department of Justice officials and, eventually, lobbying Vice President Mike Pence to reject Biden’s win at the congressional electoral count on Jan. 6.”Pressuring public servants into betraying their oaths was a fundamental part of the playbook,” the committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, said of Trump and his allies. “And a handful of election officials in several key states stood between Donald Trump and the upending of American democracy.” Video above: Georgia election worker testifies at Jan. 6 hearing about how her life was impacted ‘They did their jobs’The panel is keeping to a tight narrative as it makes its case to the American public that Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat directly led to the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, when hundreds of his supporters broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Biden’s victory.The witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing were all public officials who were directly lobbied by Trump or who received threats for doing their jobs after Trump persuaded millions of his followers — with no evidence — that he had actually won, not lost, the election.Arizona’s Republican state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified in person at the hearing, spoke about phone calls from Trump and his allies asking him to decertify Arizona’s legitimate electors and replace them. Bowers said he repeatedly asked Trump’s attorneys to show evidence of widespread fraud, but they never provided any.There was no legal pathway to execute such a request, Bowers said he told them, adding that he wouldn’t do anything illegal for Trump. “You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath,” Bowers said he responded.Other state officials told similar stories in videotaped testimony. Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler said he got repeated calls from Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other Trump aides, but he refused to answer them.The calls continued even after Cutler asked them to stop. “I understand you don’t want to talk to me,” Giuliani said in one of the messages. Focus on GeorgiaTrump’s pressure was most intense in Georgia, where Biden narrowly won after years of GOP presidential victories in the state. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his deputy, Gabe Sterling, testified about becoming two of the president’s top targets as he floated conspiracy theories and as they refused to back down to his pressure.The committee played audio of the call where Trump asked the officials there to “find 11,780″ votes that could flip the state to prevent Biden’s election victory.”There were no votes to find,” Raffensperger said.Raffensperger said he and his team went through “every single allegation,” and down every “rabbit hole,” that Trump and his allies presented to state election officials. But Trump wouldn’t accept it. He told Raffensperger that it could only be dishonesty or incompetence that they couldn’t find the necessary amount of votes.Competing against Trump’s false statements was like a “shovel trying to empty the ocean,” Sterling said. He said he couldn’t convince even some of his own family members that the election outcome was valid. Threats to public officials The hearing also examined how Trump’s threats put state officials in danger.Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson talked about how her “stomach sunk” when she heard the sounds of protesters outside her home one night after the election when she was putting her child to bed. She wondered if they had guns or were going to attack her house. “That was the scariest moment,” not knowing what was going to happen, Benson said.Another Michigan official, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, told the committee about receiving 4,000 text messages after Trump published his phone number online. Cutler, the Pennsylvania House speaker, said his information was also revealed online, prompting protesters to show up at his house when his 15 year-old son was home alone.Arizona’s Bowers told stories of people outside his house on loudspeakers and one man with a gun who verbally threatened his neighbor. He teared up as he spoke of his daughter, who he said was “gravely ill,” and his wife becoming upset as people swarmed outside. ‘The lie hasn’t gone away’At the beginning of the hearing, Thompson pointed to a standoff in New Mexico in which GOP officials in one county refused to certify an election in recent weeks because of unspecified concerns with Dominion voting systems. The voting machines were first targeted baselessly by some of Trump’s lawyers as they pushed falsehoods about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. One of the New Mexico officials was recently sentenced for entering Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 insurrection.They later voted to certify the results after pressure from state officials and courts.”The lie hasn’t gone away,” said Thompson. “It’s corrupting our democratic institutions. People who believe that lie are now seeking positions of public trust. And as we’ve seen in New Mexico, their oath to the people they serve will take a back seat to the Big Lie.”___Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON —

In its fourth hearing this month, the panel is examining how Trump focused on a few swing states, directly urging officials to decertify President Joe Biden’s victory or find additional votes for himself. It was part of a larger scheme that also involved dozens of lawsuits, pressure on Department of Justice officials and, eventually, lobbying Vice President Mike Pence to reject Biden’s win at the congressional electoral count on Jan. 6.

“Pressuring public servants into betraying their oaths was a fundamental part of the playbook,” the committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, said of Trump and his allies. “And a handful of election officials in several key states stood between Donald Trump and the upending of American democracy.”

Video above: Georgia election worker testifies at Jan. 6 hearing about how her life was impacted

‘They did their jobs’

The panel is keeping to a tight narrative as it makes its case to the American public that Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat directly led to the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, when hundreds of his supporters broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Biden’s victory.

The witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing were all public officials who were directly lobbied by Trump or who received threats for doing their jobs after Trump persuaded millions of his followers — with no evidence — that he had actually won, not lost, the election.

Arizona’s Republican state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified in person at the hearing, spoke about phone calls from Trump and his allies asking him to decertify Arizona’s legitimate electors and replace them. Bowers said he repeatedly asked Trump’s attorneys to show evidence of widespread fraud, but they never provided any.

There was no legal pathway to execute such a request, Bowers said he told them, adding that he wouldn’t do anything illegal for Trump. “You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath,” Bowers said he responded.

Other state officials told similar stories in videotaped testimony. Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler said he got repeated calls from Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other Trump aides, but he refused to answer them.

The calls continued even after Cutler asked them to stop. “I understand you don’t want to talk to me,” Giuliani said in one of the messages.

Focus on Georgia

Trump’s pressure was most intense in Georgia, where Biden narrowly won after years of GOP presidential victories in the state. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his deputy, Gabe Sterling, testified about becoming two of the president’s top targets as he floated conspiracy theories and as they refused to back down to his pressure.

The committee played audio of the call where Trump asked the officials there to “find 11,780” votes that could flip the state to prevent Biden’s election victory.

“There were no votes to find,” Raffensperger said.

Raffensperger said he and his team went through “every single allegation,” and down every “rabbit hole,” that Trump and his allies presented to state election officials. But Trump wouldn’t accept it. He told Raffensperger that it could only be dishonesty or incompetence that they couldn’t find the necessary amount of votes.

Competing against Trump’s false statements was like a “shovel trying to empty the ocean,” Sterling said. He said he couldn’t convince even some of his own family members that the election outcome was valid.

Threats to public officials

The hearing also examined how Trump’s threats put state officials in danger.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson talked about how her “stomach sunk” when she heard the sounds of protesters outside her home one night after the election when she was putting her child to bed. She wondered if they had guns or were going to attack her house. “That was the scariest moment,” not knowing what was going to happen, Benson said.

Another Michigan official, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, told the committee about receiving 4,000 text messages after Trump published his phone number online. Cutler, the Pennsylvania House speaker, said his information was also revealed online, prompting protesters to show up at his house when his 15 year-old son was home alone.

Arizona’s Bowers told stories of people outside his house on loudspeakers and one man with a gun who verbally threatened his neighbor. He teared up as he spoke of his daughter, who he said was “gravely ill,” and his wife becoming upset as people swarmed outside.

‘The lie hasn’t gone away’

At the beginning of the hearing, Thompson pointed to a standoff in New Mexico in which GOP officials in one county refused to certify an election in recent weeks because of unspecified concerns with Dominion voting systems. The voting machines were first targeted baselessly by some of Trump’s lawyers as they pushed falsehoods about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. One of the New Mexico officials was recently sentenced for entering Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

They later voted to certify the results after pressure from state officials and courts.

“The lie hasn’t gone away,” said Thompson. “It’s corrupting our democratic institutions. People who believe that lie are now seeking positions of public trust. And as we’ve seen in New Mexico, their oath to the people they serve will take a back seat to the Big Lie.”

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.