![]() ![]() “He’s more than just a logo, more than just an internet meme…” Obama said, to laughs, during his run-down of Jordan’s accomplishments.Īnd he is certainly more than a meme, but his meme status is undeniable. In his introduction to the ceremony, Obama joked that the medal honors “extraordinary Americans,” including “character actors … the guy from Space Jam.” Nice burn. Six-time NBA champ and arguable greatest basketball player of all time Michael Jordan actually received the medal, but in doing so, he got repeatedly clowned on by President Barack Obama, who made mention of Jordan’s status as the meme of weeping shame. Attorneys Erik Paulsen and Nathan Reilly of the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney James Mann of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.The popular internet meme “ Crying Jordan,” used to insinuate that someone has hurt feelings after suffering a loss, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Tuesday. ![]() The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Īssistant U.S. On or about and before Election Day 2016, at least 4,900 unique telephone numbers texted “” or some derivative to the 59925 text number, which was used in multiple deceptive campaign images tweeted by the defendant and his co-conspirators. The tweet included the typed hashtags “#Go ” and another slogan frequently used by the Candidate. Voting by text not available in Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska or Hawaii. Must be a legal citizen of the United States. Text ‘’ to 59925 Vote for and be a part of history.” The fine print at the bottom of the image stated: “Must be 18 or older to vote. The image included the following text: “Avoid the Line. ![]() 1, 2016, Mackey allegedly tweeted an image that featured an African American woman standing in front of an “African Americans for ” sign. Presidential Election, Mackey conspired with others to use social media platforms, including Twitter, to disseminate fraudulent messages designed to encourage supporters of one of the presidential candidates (the “Candidate”) to “vote” via text message or social media, a legally invalid method of voting.įor example, on Nov. A February 2016 analysis by the MIT Media Lab ranked Mackey as the 107th most important influencer of the then-upcoming Election, ranking his account above outlets and individuals such as NBC News (#114), Stephen Colbert (#119) and Newt Gingrich (#141).Īs alleged in the complaint, between September 2016 and November 2016, in the lead up to the Nov. The complaint alleges that in 2016, Mackey established an audience on Twitter with approximately 58,000 followers. It is illegal behavior and contributes to the erosion of the public’s trust in our electoral processes. He may have been a powerful social media influencer at the time, but a quick Internet search of his name today will reveal an entirely different story.” Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “What Mackey allegedly did to interfere with this process – by soliciting voters to cast their ballots via text – amounted to nothing short of vote theft. “Protecting every American citizen’s right to cast a legitimate vote is a key to the success of our republic,” said William F. They will be investigated, caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” “With Mackey’s arrest, we serve notice that those who would subvert the democratic process in this manner cannot rely on the cloak of Internet anonymity to evade responsibility for their crimes. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “There is no place in public discourse for lies and misinformation to defraud citizens of their right to vote,” said Seth D. “This complaint underscores the department’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who would undermine citizens’ voting rights.” McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “According to the allegations in the complaint, the defendant exploited a social media platform to infringe one the of most basic and sacred rights guaranteed by the Constitution: the right to vote,” said Nicholas L. Reinhart of the Southern District of Florida. He was taken into custody this morning in West Palm Beach and made his initial appearance before U.S. Presidential Election to use various social media platforms to disseminate misinformation designed to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote.ĭouglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, 31, of West Palm Beach, was charged by criminal complaint in the Eastern District of New York. ![]() A Florida man was arrested this morning on charges of conspiring with others in advance of the 2016 U.S. ![]()
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