Between September and November 2016, Mackey allegedly conspired with others to use social media messaging to encourage blacks to cast their votes via text message so their ballots wouldn’t count, according to Brooklyn federal prosecutors.
On Nov. 1, one week before the presidential election that ushered in President Donald Trump’s term, Mackey allegedly tweeted an image of a black woman in front of an “African Americans for President Hillary” sign. Written on the photograph was the message, “Avoid the Line. Vote from Home. Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925. Vote for Hillary and be a part of history,” the complaint states.
More than 4,900 people, encouraged by the misinformation campaign, cast their vote via text, officials said.
“There is no place in public discourse for lies and misinformation to defraud citizens of their right to vote,” said Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Seth DuCharme.