Far-Right Propagandist Convicted of Conspiring to Deprive Individuals of Their Right to Vote in 2016 Presidential Election

A self-styled far-right propagandist from Florida was convicted Friday of charges alleging that he conspired to deprive individuals of their right to vote in the 2016 presidential election.

Douglass Mackey, 33, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was convicted in Brooklyn federal court before Judge Ann M. Donnelly after a one-week trial. Mackey, who was arrested in January 2021, could face up to 10 years in prison.

Mackey had about 58,000 Twitter followers in 2016 and was ranked by the MIT Media Lab as the 107th-most important influencer of the then-upcoming presidential election, prosecutors said. He had described himself as an “American nationalist” who regularly retweeted then-candidate Donald Trump and promoted conspiracy theories about voter fraud by Democrats.

The evidence presented at trial showed that Mackey used social media to spread false information about the integrity of the 2016 election. He used the hashtag #DraftOurDaughters to falsely suggest that then-candidate Hillary Clinton would institute a military draft of women if she were elected. He also used the hashtag #RiggedElection to falsely suggest that the election was being rigged in favor of Clinton.

The jury found that Mackey had conspired to use social media to influence the 2016 election by attempting to suppress the votes of individuals he believed would vote for Clinton. The jury also found that Mackey had used false information to influence the election.

Mackey’s sentencing is scheduled for June 2021. He faces up to 10 years in prison for his conviction.