# Trump Defends Former Influencer Convicted of Election Interference Who Has Racist, Antisemitic Past  ## Metadata - Author:: [[Andrew Kaczynski]] - Full Title:: Trump Defends Former Influencer Convicted of Election Interference Who Has Racist, Antisemitic Past - Category: #articles - URL: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/18/politics/kfile-donald-trump-defends-former-influencer-racist-antisemitic-past/index.html ## Highlights > Douglass Mackey ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1yzfwgb0yqhz43yxsvg1ys)) > Mackey, however, was under federal investigation for conspiracy to suppress votes in the 2016 presidential election during Trump’s administration. Mackey was charged seven days after Biden took office and convicted earlier this year. He was sentenced to seven months in prison but is currently out pending an appeal of his case. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1yypns4cd6hzh6kh3csw67)) > Prosecutors [said](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.459733/gov.uscourts.nyed.459733.1.0_1.pdf) Mackey, 34, targeted Black voters on Twitter with a tweet meant to look like a campaign advertisement that falsely claimed they could vote for Clinton through text messages during the 2016 election. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1yyw0g3zwnn3y2q5k3n0fz)) > In a statement to CNN, an attorney for Mackey said the tweets don’t reflect his client’s current views, and that Mackey now regrets the tone and substance of his posts. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1yzwq08jspeqwkgpp1bvmz)) > Mackey used the pseudonym “Ricky Vaughn” on Twitter, ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1z1sp4cehkf3cbxa98yrnc)) > During his trial, Mackey testified he had apologized to his family over his tweets and that he had started therapy which he said changed his life. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1z25taqpkwt7vzqhxtd716)) > Prosecutors, however, [said](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.459733/gov.uscourts.nyed.459733.1.0_1.pdf) Mackey’s fake vote-by-text ad had significant consequences. At least 4,900 individuals texted the deceptive text code circulated by Mackey, though CNN can not confirm how many of those who texted didn’t vote. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1z5bve9fw8n6khm2d0nda6)) > as the jury found ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1z5st8956v6bpftrvb3qsq)) > engaged in a serious effort to trick people out of having their vote count, or otherwise, to take illegitimately, take votes away from a candidate, that’s against the law,” Norm Eisen, a senior CNN legal commentator, said ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj1z6kye93kmnbpdwrgq55pn))