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Appeals court throws out right-wing influencer’s conviction for 2016 election interference
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, JUL 9 – The Second Circuit ruled there was insufficient evidence that Douglass Mackey knowingly conspired to suppress votes despite 5,000 people following his meme’s false instructions, court records show.
- A federal appeals court in Manhattan vacated Douglass Mackey’s 2023 conviction related to spreading false information on social media aimed at reducing support for Democratic voters during the 2016 U.S. presidential race.
- Mackey was convicted in March 2023 of conspiracy against rights for posting memes that falsely told Democrats they could vote for Hillary Clinton via text or social media, misleading about 5,000 people between September and November 2016.
- At trial, prosecutors presented private Twitter messages as evidence of intent to interfere with voting rights, but the 2nd Circuit judges found no proof Mackey knowingly joined a conspiracy or that the memes caused anyone to fail voting properly.
- A three-judge panel headed by Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston ruled that simply sharing memes, even if done with the purpose of harming others' voting rights, does not by itself satisfy the requirements to establish a conspiracy charge under the law.
- The appeals court ordered a judgment of acquittal, and Mackey welcomed the decision while threatening legal action against the Justice Department, implying the ruling challenges prosecution standards for online election interference.
66 Articles
66 Articles
Court Tosses Meme Maker’s Conviction in Free Speech Win
Douglass Mackey, known online as “Ricky Vaughn,” had his 2023 conviction overturned by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on July 9, 2025. Originally sentenced to seven months in prison over memes posted during the 2016 election, Mackey faced a possible 10‑year sentence before the conviction was stayed pending appeal. Mackey’s pro‑Trump meme campaign encouraged African‑American voters to “Text ‘Hillary’ to 55…
ThePatriotLight - Douglass Mackey Could Have Been Pardoned, But He Wanted the Full Free Speech Victory
ThePatriotLight - On Wednesday’s “Alex Marlow Show,” host and Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow talked about the Douglass Mackey case. Marlow stated, “Trump would have pardoned him, I think, if he had asked. But he didn’t want to get pardoned because he wanted to restore the precedent that you are allowed to make jokes, that we have free speech in this country, that you are allowed to meme.” “The Alex Marlow Show,” hosted by Breitbart Editor…
Trump Supporter Gets Case Tossed After Biden DOJ Was Ready To Imprison Him For Memes - Real News Now
Douglass Mackey, a vocal Trump supporter targeted by the Biden Department of Justice for sharing political memes, had his conviction overturned Wednesday by a federal appeals court — effectively ending the Biden DOJ’s push to imprison him for up to 10 years over online speech. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reversed Mackey’s conviction, ruling there was not enough evidence to uphold it. The panel directed th…
Man Sentenced to Prison for Hillary Clinton Meme Has Conviction Overturned in Court of Appeals
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Douglass Mackey, the social media influencer who was sentenced to seven months in prison in 2023 for posting an anti-Hillary Clinton meme, had his conviction overturned in the Court of Appeals on Wednesday. Mackey, who posted political commentary under the pseudonym “Ricky Vaughn,” was found guilty of taking part in a “scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote” and sentenced to seven months in …
No joke! Conviction overturned for man who spoofed Dems, telling them to vote for Hillary online * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh
Hillary Clinton During the 2016 presidential election, a jokester went online and told Democrats to “Save Time, Avoid the Line” and vote online. WND reported the joke was by Douglass Mackey, who for the joke was convicted in New York state of “election interference.” Ep. 38 The First Amendment is done. Douglass Mackey is about to go to prison for mocking Hillary Clinton on the internet. We talked to him right before his sentencing. Remember as …
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