Episode 52 - Ricky Vaughn goes down with Michael Edison Hayden

The one where we are joined by Michael Edison Hayden, Senior Reporter with the SPLC, as we discuss Douglass Mackey's a/k/a Ricky Vaughn's conviction, Microchip's testimony, and the failed Manhattan NYYRC protest.

Find this episode on your favorite podcast player here:

https://pod.link/1647010767/episode/935d0aacd69f3b5b0c4ac328ebf36338

Here are some of the sources and articles we used to assemble this episode:

'ALT-RIGHT' DISINFORMATION KING FACES TRIAL

“On Twitter in 2016, Twitter users interested in politics commonly stumbled across Mackey’s Ricky Vaughn account. He posted rapidly and at a high volume. Archives show that Mackey averaged over 100 tweets and retweets per day between 2014 and 2016. He mixed more benign news articles with more sinister fare, including links to the neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer and racist and antisemitic memes.”

DOUGLASS MACKEY VERDICT SINKS 'SHITPOSTING' DEFENSE

“The jury’s verdict carries potentially profound implications for the hard-right, anti-democracy movement that rose around the political career of former President Donald Trump. Not only does it set more clearly visible boundaries around what is legal when sowing disinformation online, prosecutors may have also created inroads to bring about charges similar to those filed against other radical-right activists who engaged in coordinated efforts to shape the outcome of elections.

As for Mackey, the verdict rejected claims he made about his intentions in 2016. Following the Department of Justice issuing charges against him in January 2021, Mackey and his supporters repeatedly portrayed his actions as “shitposting,” an internet term of art for publishing inflammatory content that is protected by the First Amendment.”

JUDGE UNSEALS DETAILS ON COOPERATING WITNESS IN DOUGLASS MACKEY CASE

“Unsurprisingly, the government provides no details about how long this cooperation has been going on — but it presumably started before Mackey was arrested in 2021. Which is likely to make a lot of right wingers awfully nervous.”

JACK POSOBIEC INTERVIEWED A PRO-HITLER DISINFORMATION POSTER ON ONE AMERICA NEWS NETWORK

“Posobiec has an apparent personal connection to Microchip that goes beyond interviewing him on OANN. Posobiec referred to what he claimed was the creator of QAnon as his friend in a tweet he published on March 8, 2019. He made the claim six months after he produced the segment reporting that Microchip created QAnon with another person. Posobiec and Microchip both promoted fake antifa Twitter accounts as part of a disinformation campaign intended to discredit the leftist protest movement, Buzzfeed reported in March 2017.

“Well seeing as QAnon was started by two guys that are friends of mine, wouldn't that make sense?” he wrote in response to a comment that he “speaks the same language” as QAnon.”

TRUMP PROTEST: SMALL GROUP OF FORMER PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS, FOES FACE OFF AHEAD OF COURT APPEARANCE

During Tuesday's pro-Trump rally in lower Manhattan, hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, Greene fired back at Adams, saying, "While you allow crime in your streets, and you sent your henchmen down here ... Democrats are the party of violence."

Speaking through a megaphone, Greene told Trump supporters, "I am here to protest and use my voice and take a stand."

"Every American should take a stand.," Greene said. "This is what happens to communists' countries. Not the United States of America. We have to take a stand against the injustice, the corruption and the communist Democrats."

At one point, members of the New York Young Republicans Club began chanting "USA! USA!"

This is our current events recap program, where we offer our takes on what’s going on at the bleeding edge of the information war. Feel free to let us know what you think, suggest topics, etc. at didnothingwrongpod@protonmail.com, or in our group chat using the Substack app.

Thanks for listening,

Jay and Griff

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