Influencer in Florida Accused of Voter Fraud
A February 2016 analysis by MIT Media Lab revealed that Twitter account “Ricky Vaughn” was the 107th most important influencer in the then-upcoming election. That’s a higher ranking than many other groups and individuals like NBC News (114), Stephen Colbert (119), and Newt Gingrich (141). Everyone had one question: Who in the world is Ricky Vaughn? As it turns out, the Florida man was really stepping up his game. Douglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, is based in West Palm Beach and gained an audience on Twitter with over 58,000 followers by 2016. Many would describe him as an internet troll, or someone who posts hurtful comments for his own amusement. While he’s posted anti-Semitic memes in the past, those offenses were hardly illegal. That changed when Mackey allegedly went too far.
Using hashtags like #go[candidate], Mackey posted false, edited campaign images to convince people to “vote” by text instead of going to the polls or using the mail-in ballot. In one instance, he posted an image depicting an African American woman holding a sign, reading “African Americans for [candidate].” The images would then include instructions on how to vote by texting a specific number. Mackey and his associates also created images with Spanish instructions, obviously targeting minorities as well. Of course, voting by text is not a legitimate way to cast a ballot, yet the deceptive campaign duped over 4,900 unique phone numbers. William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, reported in their press release, “Protecting
every American citizen’s right to cast a legitimate vote is a key to the success of our republic. What Mackey allegedly did to interfere with this process — by soliciting voters to cast their ballots via text — amounted to nothing short of vote theft.” It’s certainly fascinating and terrifying to see just how influential social media can be on an election and even go as far as to lure people into wasting their vote. We’re glad, however, to see these types of cases being brought to court — Mackey was recently arrested on federal charges of election interference for this 2016 voter disinformation campaign. Some influencers are taking their title much too seriously!
Save the Environment – With 5 Organization Hacks
NO. 2: ORGANIZE POWER CORDS WITH OLD BREAD TAGS.
NO. 4: CONVERT AN OLD WINE RACK INTO TOWEL STORAGE.
You may want to throw away your bread tags, old rakes, and shower curtain rings, but what if you can reuse them for a more sustainable, organized lifestyle? You’ll never lose your remote control or confuse your power cords again, and it won’t even cost you anything extra.
Have a chaotic power strip that’s impossible to navigate or reorganize on the fly? Luckily, you already have labels that’ll easily attach to any cord you have: bread tags. One side of your bread tag may list the “best by” date for your bread. The other side is blank! That’s where you can take a permanent marker, write down the name of the cord, and attach it to the cord near the power strip.
It can be a tough task to stow your towels in a fashionable way. But as you begin to upgrade your home decor, you may find an extra wine rack on your hands, which happens to be perfect for storing rolled towels! NO. 5: USE A HOLLOWED BOOK FOR REMOTE CONTROL STORAGE. Have a thick book that you’re about to get rid of? It might feel sacrilegious to repurpose a book, but it’s also one of the coolest ways to celebrate literature in a stylish, practical way. Hollow out a book and use it to store many things, including remote controls.
NO. 3: REPURPOSE OLD DRAWERS TO BE UNDER-THE-BED STORAGE.
NO. 1: USE SHOWER CURTAIN RINGS TO HANG CLOTHING ITEMS.
Most people will throw out their old wardrobes, but if you have leftover drawers, you don’t have to get rid of them. Refinishing them is optional — they make great storage containers as-is for under your bed! Store toys, board games, and more beneath your bed, sofa, or anywhere else that has a narrow opening.
Tank tops and delicates (like scarves) tend to scrunch and pile up in the corner of your closet or drawers. But if you’re replacing your curtain rings anytime soon, don’t toss your old ones — you can attach them to hangers and hang ties, belts, hats, and many other accessories!
We hope these tips will inspire you to reduce and reuse! See you next month!
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