Usually, telling lies on the internet is Constitutionally protected.

But what happens when it’s not? What happens when you post and meme so hard and so maliciously that you go far outside the realm of protected speech and wind up in a federal prison. That’s the story of a 33-year-old man named Douglass Mackey, who operated a few Twitter accounts under the name Rickey Vaughn. Using these accounts he spread Pizzagate lies, racist tropes, and also messages deliberately designed to mislead people into giving up their right to vote. On May 31st, Douglass Mackey was convicted of Election Interference in the 2016 presidential race after a one week trial.

To better understand this case we spoke to someone who has been covering it for years: Michael Edison Hayden from the Southern Poverty Law Center. We chat about Douglass Mackey’s background, the crime he was found guilty of committing, and what it means for the future of online disinformation campaigns. We also discuss the trial’s involvement of “Microchip,” a notorious troll who is currently working as a federal informant.

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Michael Edison Hayden: https://twitter.com/MichaelEHayden

QAA's Website: https://qanonanonymous.com

Editing by Corey Klotz.