An extreme right-wing social media influencer was sentenced to seven months in prison Wednesday for an election interference scheme against Black voters in 2016, the Department of Justice announced.
Douglass Mackey who went by the online persona of "Ricky Vaughn" on Twitter, since renamed X, used his 58,000-follower social media account to push misinformation intended to trick Black people into into believing they could vote by text message, shortly after discussing with his supporters the importance of limiting "Black turnout."
"For example, on Nov. 1, 2016, Mackey allegedly tweeted an image that featured an African American woman standing in front of an 'African Americans for Hillary' sign," alleged the DOJ in its indictment. "The image included the following text: 'Avoid the Line. Vote from Home. Text 'Hillary' to 59925. Vote for Hillary and be a part of history.'" Some 4,900 people texted that line, apparently under the mistaken impression they were voting.
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Mackey was convicted for his scheme in late March.
“One of the foundational rights we hold as Americans, a right that many fought so hard to obtain, is the right to vote. The defendant weaponized disinformation in a dangerous scheme to stop targeted groups, including black and brown people and women, from participating in our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “This groundbreaking prosecution demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who commit crimes that threaten our democracy and seek to deprive people of their constitutional right to vote.”
