Appeals Court Frees Pro-Trump Troll Douglass Mackey in 2016 Election Meme Case

In a stunning turn of events, a federal appeals court has overturned the conviction of Douglass Mackey, a pro-Trump influencer accused of spreading deceptive memes during the 2016 election to suppress Democratic votes. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit unanimously ruled that Mackey’s actions, while mischievous, didn’t amount to a criminal conspiracy. This decision wipes out his seven-month prison sentence and sends the case back to a New York court for a judgment of acquittal.

Mackey, known online as Ricky Vaughn, gained notoriety for posting fake Hillary Clinton ads suggesting voters could text their ballots. With 58,000 Twitter followers at the time, his trolling was bold but, as the court found, not illegal. "No rational jury" could conclude Mackey knowingly conspired to undermine voting rights, Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston declared in the ruling.

The decision is a victory for free speech advocates but raises thorny questions about the line between online pranks and election interference. Mackey celebrated the ruling on X, shouting "HALLELUJAH!" and hinting at lawsuits to come. While his memes were meant to mislead, the court’s stance is clear: bad intentions alone don’t make a crime.