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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 overturned Douglass Mackey's March 2023 conviction for conspiracy against rights related to spreading false memes during the 2016 election in Brooklyn.
- Mackey was convicted for sharing misleading memes that persuaded around 5,000 individuals to attempt voting for Clinton via text messaging or social media platforms between September and November 2016, but the appeals court ruled the evidence for conspiracy was insufficient.
- Prosecutors relied on private Twitter group messages alleging intent to interfere with voting rights, while the trial judge called the conspiracy an assault on democracy.
- The 2nd Circuit judges wrote that posting memes alone does not prove a conspiracy without evidence of knowing agreement, and ordered a judgment of acquittal for Mackey.
- Mackey, who had 58,000 followers, welcomed the ruling as vindication, thanked supporters, and threatened legal action against the Justice Department over his conviction.
65 Articles
65 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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