2 Georgia poll workers sue Giuliani and OANN over election claims

Two Georgia election workers allege in a defamation lawsuit filed Thursday that conservative network One America News Network and former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani falsely claimed they committed ballot fraud over the 2020 election.

Why it matters: Ruby Freeman and daughter Wandrea "Shaye" Moss allege in the suit first obtained by Politico that the baseless public claims "led to an immediate onslaught of violent and racist threats and harassment" that left them "afraid to live normal lives."

• The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., says that Freeman followed FBI advice and left her home for two months due to a group of Trump supporters surrounding her home after the conspiracy theories spread.

Details: The lawsuit names OANN president Charles Herring, its founder Robert Herring and network reporter Chanel Rion.

• "On multiple occasions, strangers camped out at Ms. Freeman's home and/or knocked on her door," the lawsuit states.
• "When Ms. Freeman was not home or would not answer the door, these strangers would sometimes also harass her neighbors. Strangers were coming to her home so frequently that the local police agreed to add her address to their patrols in the area."

What they're saying: OANN CEO Robert Herring told Reuters his network had "done nothing wrong," adding that he was "laughing" at the lawsuit and "four or five others" filed against the company.

• "Eventually, it will turn on them and go the other way," Herring said.
• Representatives for Giuliani and OANN did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.

The big picture: Freeman and Ross filed a similar lawsuit against far-right website The Gateway Pundit earlier this month.