An associate of Kanye West allegedly pressured an election worker in the state of Georgia last year to confess to false accusations of voter fraud.
In December 2020, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, became targeted by false claims that they had illegally counted fake mail-in ballots by pulling them from “suitcases” while working on the day of the 2020 election at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.
The claims, which were first disseminated by right-wing website The Gateway Pundit, were debunked by Fulton County and Georgia elections officials, according to the New York Times, but continued to be amplified by Trump allies and the former President himself.
Now Reuters has reported that a woman named Trevian Kutti allegedly attempted to pressure Freeman into confessing to those false accusations that she and Moss had committed voter fraud.
According to Reuters, Kutti has been associated with Kanye West since 2018, but a representative for West later denied to the news service that she had been associated with the rapper by the time of this alleged meeting with Freeman.
According to Reuters’ report, Kutti allegedly travelled to Freeman’s home on January 4 while accompanied by an unidentified man, telling Freeman that she represented a “high-profile” individual.
Shortly after Kutti arrived at Freeman’s home, Freeman called 911, telling the operator “They’re saying that I need help.” Freeman also said that Kutti told her “it’s just a matter of time that they are going to come out for me and my family.”
Upon officers’ arrival at Freeman’s home, Kutti said that Freeman was “in danger” and had 48 hours before “unidentified subjects” would arrive at her home. Officers present suggested Kutti and Freeman reconvene at the police station, which they did.
At the station, Kutti was filmed by a police officer’s body camera telling Freeman and her family that she “cannot say what specifically will take place”. “I just know that it will disrupt your freedom and the freedom of one or more of your family members,” Kutti said. Kutti also allegedly told Freeman she was a “loose end for a party that needs to tidy up.”
Police bodycam video recorded on Jan. 4, 2021, shows Trevian Kutti, a publicist for hip-hop artist Kanye West, telling a Georgia election worker who former President Trump falsely accused of manipulating votes that she was in imminent danger https://t.co/AeF1I18mdJ pic.twitter.com/ott7ohVQnI
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 10, 2021
Freeman told Reuters that Kutti called a man she said was named Harrison Ford and had “authoritative powers to get you protection”, and put him on speakerphone. For about an hour, Kutti and the man reportedly tried to get Freeman to implicate herself in committing voter fraud on Election Day, Freeman told Reuters.
Freeman also recalled Kutti telling her that, if Freeman didn’t tell her “everything,” she would “go to jail.” Freeman ended the phone call by saying “the Devil is a liar” and requested assistance from an officer.
Though police say they didn’t investigate further, Freeman was reportedly contacted by the FBI on January 5, who advised her that she should leave her home as they feared she was in danger. A mob arrived at Freeman’s home on January 6 – the same day as the Capitol riots – shouting threats through bullhorns. It is unclear whether Freeman vacated her home before then.
Though Reuters has reported that Trevian Kutti was a publicist of West’s, a representative for West later said that the two weren’t associated at the time she met Freeman.
“Trevian Kutti was not associated with Kanye West or any of his enterprises at the times of the facts that are reported in these articles or since these facts occurred,” said Pierre Rougier, West’s spokesperson, in a statement to Reuters.
In her biography, which was shared on the business networking site Women’s Global Initiative, Kutti is described as a member of “the Young Black Leadership Council under President Donald Trump”, Reuters said. The website has since removed Kutti’s bio.
Kanye West – now legally known as ‘Ye’ – unsuccessfully ran in the 2020 election as an independent, conceding on November 4. The day prior, he shared that the vote he cast for himself was the first time he has ever voted in a presidential election.
