Social media platform X on Thursday reinstated Douglass Mackey’s meme account following the overturning of his conviction in an election case.
As of press time, the @Ricky_Vaughn99 account was active and no longer subject to platform restrictions. The account has not posted since 2016, when the platform was still Twitter.
The account was at the center of Mackey’s case as it was the account through which he posted a meme jokingly encouraging supporters of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to cast their votes by text.
Mackey was convicted of interfering in the election in 2023, though the court stayed his sentence, pending his appeal. The Second Circuit on Wednesday overturned his conviction, arguing “that the evidence was insufficient to prove that he knowingly agreed to join the charged conspiracy. We agree. Accordingly, we REVERSE Mackeyâs conviction and REMAND the case to the district court with instructions to enter a judgment of acquittal.”
