"Explainer: Trevian Kutti, Harrison Floyd, and Stephen Lee - Indicted in Trump Georgia Case - Here's Everything You Need to Know"

Former President Donald Trump and 18 others have been indicted in Georgia, with charges against three alleged co-conspirators related to the harassment of election workers. The trio, Trevian Kutti, Harrison Floyd, and Stephen Cliffgard Lee, were involved in efforts to keep Trump in power.

In an indictment filed in Georgia, former U.S. President Donald Trump and 18 others, including Trevian Kutti, Harrison Floyd, and Stephen Cliffgard Lee, are facing charges related to the harassment of election workers. These three individuals were first identified by Reuters in a series of reports in 2021 and 2022 for their involvement in efforts to keep Trump in power.

Kutti, Floyd, and Lee are specifically charged with solicitation of false statements and influencing witnesses. Their alleged actions aimed to pressure Ruby Freeman, an election worker in Georgia's Fulton County, into making a false confession to voting fraud in January 2021. When contacted for comment, the three men did not respond.

Trump, on the other hand, has vehemently denied all charges against him, claiming that they are part of a politicized effort to prevent him from regaining the presidency.

The background to these charges involves false accusations made by Trump and his campaign following the November 2020 vote. Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, were wrongly accused of illegally counting fraudulent mail-in ballots after allegedly retrieving them from suspicious suitcases while working at Atlanta's State Farm Arena on Election Day. However, county and state officials quickly confirmed that the "suitcases" were standard ballot containers and that the votes were properly counted, refuting the fraud claims.

As previously reported by Reuters, Trevian Kutti, a publicist, traveled to Georgia just days before the January 6, 2021, riot and unexpectedly showed up at Freeman's doorstep. Kutti claimed to be delivering a message from a "high-profile individual" without disclosing their identity. The message warned Freeman of unspecified danger related to the election and urged her to address the issue within 48 hours before unknown individuals arrived at her home. Kutti denied pressuring Freeman to admit fraud in an Instagram post after the article was published.

Kutti had previously identified herself as a member of "the Young Black Leadership Council under President Donald Trump" and had claimed to work for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, among other high-profile clients. However, a representative for Ye stated that Kutti was not associated with the rapper during her meeting with Freeman, and a spokesperson for the Queen of Jordan denied any involvement with Kutti.

Harrison Floyd, a Trump campaign aide and executive director of a group called Black Voices for Trump, confirmed to Reuters that he had recruited Kutti to meet with Freeman. Floyd stated that he participated in the meeting through a phone call while Kutti met with Freeman at a police station in Georgia's Cobb County. Floyd revealed that he was asked to set up the meeting by a chaplain with connections in federal law enforcement. However, he declined to disclose the chaplain's identity or the specifics of their connections. Floyd arranged the meeting with the intention of helping Freeman. The chaplain, who is white, believed that Freeman, being Black, would be more inclined to trust Floyd rather than a white stranger.

In September 2022, Reuters identified Stephen Lee, a former police officer based in Illinois, as the individual who sought Floyd's assistance with Freeman. This information was corroborated by police bodycam footage and other reporting. In December 2020, Lee had visited Freeman's house but was turned away by the frightened election worker. When approached for comment, Lee declined to discuss the reasons for his visit or whether someone had sent him. Lee had previously worked as a police officer in California and later served as a chaplain providing support to officers and others after the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York.

The relentless harassment faced by Freeman and Moss had a significant impact on their lives. They received numerous death threats, leading Freeman to flee her home. Their traumatic experience was later recounted in dramatic testimony before the U.S. House's January 6 committee.

In conclusion, the indictment against Trump and others in Georgia includes charges against three alleged co-conspirators involved in the harassment of election workers. Trevian Kutti, Harrison Floyd, and Stephen Cliffgard Lee are accused of solicitation of false statements and influencing witnesses. Their actions targeted Ruby Freeman, an election worker in Georgia's Fulton County. These developments were initially uncovered by Reuters in a series of reports. The background to these charges involves false accusations made by Trump and his campaign regarding fraudulent mail-in ballots. The lives of Freeman and Moss were upended, leading to death threats and Freeman's displacement. The case continues to unfold as it progresses through the legal system.

Share With Others