Douglass Mackey, who was convicted in 2023 for election interference over images he posted about the 2016 election, announced Wednesday his conviction was unanimously overturned by the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City.
Mackey, also known online as “Ricky Vaughn,” was prosecuted by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) for sharing images the DOJ claimed constituted election interference. One of the ads Mackey posted, under the account “Ricky Vaughn,” said “Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925.”
Mackey was sentenced to seven months in federal prison in 2023, according to a DOJ press release. Following his conviction, he appeared on Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson’s show, where he argued the DOJ violated his First Amendment rights. (RELATED: Biden DOJ Charges Pro-Trump Twitter Troll Over Posts Ahead Of 2016 Election)
President Donald Trump’s campaign posted a video on X in 2023 that contended the Biden DOJ violated Mackey’s First Amendment rights.
Mackey maintained that he did not want a pardon from former President Donald Trump, stating instead that he wanted “total vindication” through dismissal of the charges.
He was first arrested in January 2021, shortly after former President Joe Biden took office. The case was investigated by the Biden Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. (RELATED: Left-Wing Group’s Potential Election Interference Draws Comparisons To Pro-Trump Meme Maker Prosecuted By Biden DOJ)
Following the Wednesday appeals court decision, Mackey posted “Now we sue” in response to the dismissal, signaling potential legal action.
Mackey also noted that both liberal and conservative judges sided with him in their decision.
“Mackey argues on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to prove that he knowingly agreed to join the charged conspiracy,” the Wednesday decision read. “We agree.”
