Far-right influencer sentenced to 7 months for election interference in 2016
Right-wing social media influencer Douglass Mackey, also known as Ricky Vaughn, has been sentenced to seven months in federal prison for spreading false information on Twitter in an attempt to suppress Democratic turnout during the 2016 presidential election. Mackey conspired with others to falsely claim that supporters of Hillary Clinton could vote for her via text message or social media post. Prosecutors argued that Mackey's actions targeted specific groups, including black and brown people and women, in an assault on democracy. Despite his attorney's request for leniency, the judge denied it, stating that Mackey played a leading role in the conspiracy.