Two important legal stories (besides the Trump indictment) came to the fore this week, and no one better to explain them than bodybuilder, Twitter anon, and high-powered attorney Ash.

First, the political prosecution of of Douglas Mackey (AKA Ricky Vaughn) reached its third day of deliberations, with the jury receiving an Allen Charge—intense pressure from the judge to reach a verdict—on Wednesday. Mackey is on trial for sharing a joke meme encouraging Hillary Clinton supporters to “vote by text” during 2016 election. Despite many Dems making the exact same joke, encouraging Trump supporters to vote by text, Mackey faces prosecution in federal court while no Democrats face the same.

****UPDATE: Just moments ago, the news broke that Mackey has been found guilty.

Second, text of the RESTRICT Act (Senate Bill 686) has been released to widespread accusations of government overreach. It gives the state unprecedented power to control online speech via prosecution of private citizens—which is why Ash and others describe it as Gen Z’s Patriot Act.

The bill, backed by both parties, ostensibly seeks to gird national security against the looming TikTok threat. In practice, however, the bill will provide a regime now known for political prosecutions with carte blanche to pursue more rebel speakers like Mackey.

Here’s a viral thread from Grill Time clearly and simply explaining the provisions of SB 686, and why they amount to obvious overreach.

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