m Reverted 1 edit by 2605:E000:8651:7A00:7120:759C:B575:81BB (talk) to last revision by Grayfell. (TW) Tag: Undo |
2605:e000:8651:7a00:7120:759c:b575:81bb (talk) Undid revision 853065847 by Grayfell (talk) Tag: Undo |
||
Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Charles Carlisle Johnson''' (born October 22, 1988)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailycaller.com/2014/09/04/charles-johnson-threatens-to-sue-man-who-called-him-a-child-molester/ |title=Charles Johnson Threatens To Sue Man Who Called Him A Child Molester |publisher=The Daily Caller |date=2014-09-04 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref> is the owner of the websites GotNews.com and WeSearchr.com. He has written two books.<ref>https://www.encounterbooks.com/authors/charles-c-johnson/</ref> Johnson is frequently described as an [[internet troll]].<ref name=Slate>{{cite web|last=Hess |first=Amanda |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/users/2015/05/chuck_c_johnson_suspended_from_twitter_why.html |title=Chuck C. Johnson suspended from Twitter: Why? |publisher=Slate.com |date=2015-05-28 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref><ref name=Kos>{{cite web|author=Christian Dem in NC |url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/25/1387686/-Charles-C-Johnson-gets-booted-off-Twitter-for-wanting-to-take-out-Deray-McKesson |title=Charles C. Johnson gets booted off Twitter for wanting to "take out" Deray McKesson |publisher=Dailykos.com |date=2015-05-25 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref><ref name=riverfront>{{cite web|last=Wicentowski |first=Danny |url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2015/06/08/st-louis-lawyer-fighting-to-reinstate-troll-king-charles-johnson-on-twitter |title=St. Louis Lawyer Fighting to Reinstate Troll King Charles Johnson on Twitter | News Blog | St. Louis News and Events |publisher=Riverfront Times |date=2015-06-08 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref><ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|last=Mac|first=Ryan |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdrange/2017/01/09/chuck-johnson-troll-trump-transition-team/#2db11fdc5c12 |title=A Troll Outside Trump Tower Is Helping To Pick Your Next Government |publisher=Forbes.com |date=2017-01-09 |accessdate=2017-01-09}}</ref> |
'''Charles Carlisle Johnson''' (born October 22, 1988)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailycaller.com/2014/09/04/charles-johnson-threatens-to-sue-man-who-called-him-a-child-molester/ |title=Charles Johnson Threatens To Sue Man Who Called Him A Child Molester |publisher=The Daily Caller |date=2014-09-04 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref> is the owner of the websites GotNews.com and WeSearchr.com. He has written two books.<ref>https://www.encounterbooks.com/authors/charles-c-johnson/</ref> Johnson is frequently described as an [[internet troll]].<ref name=Slate>{{cite web|last=Hess |first=Amanda |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/users/2015/05/chuck_c_johnson_suspended_from_twitter_why.html |title=Chuck C. Johnson suspended from Twitter: Why? |publisher=Slate.com |date=2015-05-28 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref><ref name=Kos>{{cite web|author=Christian Dem in NC |url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/25/1387686/-Charles-C-Johnson-gets-booted-off-Twitter-for-wanting-to-take-out-Deray-McKesson |title=Charles C. Johnson gets booted off Twitter for wanting to "take out" Deray McKesson |publisher=Dailykos.com |date=2015-05-25 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref><ref name=riverfront>{{cite web|last=Wicentowski |first=Danny |url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2015/06/08/st-louis-lawyer-fighting-to-reinstate-troll-king-charles-johnson-on-twitter |title=St. Louis Lawyer Fighting to Reinstate Troll King Charles Johnson on Twitter | News Blog | St. Louis News and Events |publisher=Riverfront Times |date=2015-06-08 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref><ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|last=Mac|first=Ryan |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdrange/2017/01/09/chuck-johnson-troll-trump-transition-team/#2db11fdc5c12 |title=A Troll Outside Trump Tower Is Helping To Pick Your Next Government |publisher=Forbes.com |date=2017-01-09 |accessdate=2017-01-09}}</ref> |
||
Johnson bought bitcoin in early 2009. He invests his own money in several startups. |
|||
==Education== |
==Education== |
||
Johnson graduated from [[Milton Academy]] in |
Johnson graduated from [[Milton Academy]] in 2007. He then attended [[Claremont McKenna College]], graduating in 2011, with degrees in Economics and Government.<ref name=Linkedin>{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pub/charles-johnson/6/64a/369 |title=Charles Johnson |publisher=LinkedIn |date= |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref>{{Self-published source|date=November 2016}} During his college years he was awarded the [[Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism#Eric Breindel Collegiate Journalism Award winners|Eric Breindel Collegiate Journalism Award]] and the [[Claremont Institute#Publius Fellows program|Publius Fellowship]] at the Claremont Institute.<ref name="American Media Institute 2012">{{cite web | title=Eric Breindel Collegiate Journalism Award - American Media Institute | website=American Media Institute | date=2012-04-27 | url=https://americanmediainstitute.com/awards/eric-breindel-collegiate-journalism-award/ | accessdate=2017-05-20 |archivedate=2017-05-20 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20170520160004/https://americanmediainstitute.com/awards/eric-breindel-collegiate-journalism-award/}}</ref><ref name="The Claremont Institute">{{cite web | title=Publius Alumni | website=The Claremont Institute | url=http://www.claremont.org/page/fellowships/publius-fellowship/publius-fellowship-alumni/ | accessdate=2017-05-20 | archivedate=2014-08-20 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820121222/http://www.claremont.org/page/fellowships/publius-fellowship/publius-fellowship-alumni/ | deadurl=yes | df= }}</ref> |
||
==Controversies== |
==Controversies== |
||
===Bob Menendez=== |
===Bob Menendez=== |
||
Johnson |
Johnson reported a ''[[The Daily Caller|Daily Caller]]'' story that accused U.S. Senator [[Bob Menendez]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]-[[New Jersey|NJ]]) [[Bob Menendez#Federal Investigations of Menendez|of soliciting underage prostitutes]] in the [[Dominican Republic]].<ref name=DailyCaller>{{cite web|url=http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/01/women-sen-bob-menendez-paid-us-for-sex-in-the-dominican-republic/ |title=Women: Sen. Bob Menendez paid us for sex in the Dominican Republic |publisher=The Daily Caller |date=2012-11-01 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref> A criminal investigation of the case found no evidence, and the women making the allegations later admitted they had been paid by a local lawyer to make the claims.<ref name="atlantic-post">{{cite web|work=The Atlantic |date=March 8, 2013 |url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/03/only-daily-caller-thought-daily-callers-scoop-was-scoop/62906/ |title=Daily Caller's Prostitution 'Scoop' Was So Thin Even the ''"New York Post"'' Passed |first=Philip |last=Bump |accessdate=March 13, 2013 |archivedate=June 30, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630013226/http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/03/only-daily-caller-thought-daily-callers-scoop-was-scoop/62906/ |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref><ref name=wapo-politics-03192013>{{cite news|last=Lazo|first=Luz |title=Dominican police: 3 women paid to make false claims about Menendez|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dominican-police-3-women-paid-to-make-false-claims-about-menendez/2013/03/18/f2ff253c-8fe7-11e2-9abd-e4c5c9dc5e90_story.html |accessdate=March 19, 2013|newspaper=''"[[Washington Post]]"''|date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> Melendez was later charged but found innocent. |
||
===Cory Booker=== |
===Cory Booker=== |
||
Line 46: | Line 48: | ||
===University of Virginia rape article=== |
===University of Virginia rape article=== |
||
In December 2014, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' columnist [[Sabrina Erdely]] published an article entitled "[[A Rape on Campus]]" about the alleged gang rape of a [[University of Virginia]] (UVA) student named "Jackie" in 2012 at the [[Phi Kappa Psi]] fraternity house at UVA. The article was later found to be fabricated.<ref name=NYT>https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/business/media/sowing-mayhem-one-click-at-a-time.html</ref> Johnson publicly identified |
In December 2014, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' columnist [[Sabrina Erdely]] published an article entitled "[[A Rape on Campus]]" about the alleged gang rape of a [[University of Virginia]] (UVA) student named "Jackie" in 2012 at the [[Phi Kappa Psi]] fraternity house at UVA. The article was later found to be fabricated.<ref name=NYT>https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/business/media/sowing-mayhem-one-click-at-a-time.html</ref> Johnson publicly identified Jackie but published the wrong photo of her. He retracted the photo but was correct about the woman.<ref name=DD>{{cite web|last=Howell |first=Patrick |url=http://www.dailydot.com/news/charles-johnson-uva-jackie-dox/ |title=Journalist publishes alleged name and photo of UVA rape victim |publisher=Dailydot.com |date=2014-12-07 |accessdate=2015-08-22}}</ref> which has since been proven to be false.<ref name="Forbes"/> |
||
===Banning from Twitter=== |
===Banning from Twitter=== |
||
On May 24, 2015, Johnson sent a tweet asking his followers for donations to help him "take out" [[Black Lives Matter]] activist [[Deray McKesson]]. McKesson shared the tweet and took the tweet as a threat. Johnson was permanently [[List of people banned from Twitter|banned from Twitter]] after several users reported him for harassment.<ref name="Slate"/> In 2018, Johnson sued Twitter for banning him on the grounds that Twitter violated his [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] right to free speech. The California Superior Court in Fresno struck down Johnson's lawsuit on June 6.<ref>Thomsen, Jacqueline (6 June 2018) [http://thehill.com/policy/technology/technology/391096-court-strikes-down-far-right-activists-lawsuit-over-twitter-ban "Court strikes down far-right activist's lawsuit over Twitter ban."] The Hill. (Retrieved 7 June 2018.)</ref> |
On May 24, 2015, Johnson sent a tweet asking his followers for donations to help him "take out" [[Black Lives Matter]] activist [[Deray McKesson]]. McKesson shared the tweet and took the tweet as a threat. Johnson was permanently [[List of people banned from Twitter|banned from Twitter]] after several users reported him for harassment.<ref name="Slate"/> In 2018, Johnson sued Twitter for banning him on the grounds that Twitter violated his [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] right to free speech. The California Superior Court in Fresno struck down Johnson's lawsuit on June 6.<ref>Thomsen, Jacqueline (6 June 2018) [http://thehill.com/policy/technology/technology/391096-court-strikes-down-far-right-activists-lawsuit-over-twitter-ban "Court strikes down far-right activist's lawsuit over Twitter ban."] The Hill. (Retrieved 7 June 2018.)</ref> Johnson appealed. |
||
=== Katie Walsh === |
=== Katie Walsh === |
||
Line 55: | Line 57: | ||
=== Charlottesville Rally === |
=== Charlottesville Rally === |
||
In August 2017, Johnson's website GotNews falsely accused a Michigan man of being responsible for [[2017 Unite the Right rally#Vehicular ramming into counterprotesters|the car attack]] on 12 August 2017 that killed and injured anti-racist protesters in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/alt-right-media-framed-wrong-person-in-car-attack-labeled-him-anti-trump-druggie|title=Alt-Right Media Framed Wrong Person in Car Attack, Labeled Him ‘Anti-Trump Druggie’|last=Collins|first=Ben|date=2017-08-13|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=2017-08-13}}</ref> The Michigan man was subsequently harassed and had to make his Facebook page private.<ref name=":1" /> Together with his father, the Michigan man filed a defamation lawsuit against 22 corporate and individual defendants, including Johnson.<ref>https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CharlottesvilleGotNews.pdf</ref> On June 1, 2018, Johnson agreed to pay $25,000 to settle the lawsuit.<ref>Johnson, Charles (1 June 2018) [http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/48214_Exclusive-_Holocaust_Denier_Chuck_C._Johnson_Pays_$25000_to_Settle_Defamation_Lawsuit "Exclusive: Holocaust Denier Chuck C. Johnson Pays $25,000 to Settle Defamation Lawsuit."] Little Green Footballs. (Retrieved June 7, 2018).</ref> |
In August 2017, Johnson's website GotNews falsely accused a Michigan man of being responsible for [[2017 Unite the Right rally#Vehicular ramming into counterprotesters|the car attack]] on 12 August 2017 that killed and injured anti-racist protesters in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/alt-right-media-framed-wrong-person-in-car-attack-labeled-him-anti-trump-druggie|title=Alt-Right Media Framed Wrong Person in Car Attack, Labeled Him ‘Anti-Trump Druggie’|last=Collins|first=Ben|date=2017-08-13|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=2017-08-13}}</ref> The Michigan man was subsequently harassed and had to make his Facebook page private.<ref name=":1" /> Together with his father, the Michigan man filed a defamation lawsuit against 22 corporate and individual defendants, including Johnson.<ref>https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CharlottesvilleGotNews.pdf</ref> On June 1, 2018, Johnson agreed to pay $25,000 to settle the lawsuit without admitting guilt. The case is ongoing.<ref>Johnson, Charles (1 June 2018) [http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/48214_Exclusive-_Holocaust_Denier_Chuck_C._Johnson_Pays_$25000_to_Settle_Defamation_Lawsuit "Exclusive: Holocaust Denier Chuck C. Johnson Pays $25,000 to Settle Defamation Lawsuit."] Little Green Footballs. (Retrieved June 7, 2018).</ref> |
||
=== Trump campaign WikiLeaks liaison === |
=== Trump campaign WikiLeaks liaison === |
||
Line 61: | Line 63: | ||
===Fraudulent sexual harassment claim against Senator Charles Schumer=== |
===Fraudulent sexual harassment claim against Senator Charles Schumer=== |
||
On December 11, 2017 Johnson wrote on his [[Facebook]] page, “[[Mike Cernovich|Michael Cernovich]] & I are going to end the career of a U.S. Senator.” Johnson claimed to have uncovered a sexual harassment lawsuit against Senator [[Charles Schumer]]. The lawsuit, however, turned out to be a forgery. Moreover, language in the forged lawsuit was copied verbatim from a real sexual-harassment complaint filed against Rep. [[John Conyers]]. Schumer referred the matter to [[United States Capitol Police|Capitol police]] for investigation.<ref>Sullivan, Eileen (December 13, 2017) [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/us/politics/schumer-fraudulent-document-harassment.html “Schumer Files Police Report After Fraudulent Document Emerges.”] New York Times. (Retrieved March 6, 2018.)</ref><ref>Weill, Kelly (December 13, 2017) [https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-cernovich-chuck-johnson-alt-right-hyped-anti-schumer-forgery-that-plagiarized-conyers-complaint “Alt-Right Hyped Sexual Harassment Hoax to Attach Schumer.”] The Daily Beast. (Retrieved March 6, 2018.)</ref> |
On December 11, 2017 Johnson wrote on his [[Facebook]] page, “[[Mike Cernovich|Michael Cernovich]] & I are going to end the career of a U.S. Senator.” Johnson claimed to have uncovered a sexual harassment lawsuit against Senator [[Charles Schumer]]. The lawsuit, however, turned out to be a forgery. Moreover, language in the forged lawsuit was copied verbatim from a real sexual-harassment complaint filed against Rep. [[John Conyers]]. Schumer referred the matter to [[United States Capitol Police|Capitol police]] for investigation.<ref>Sullivan, Eileen (December 13, 2017) [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/us/politics/schumer-fraudulent-document-harassment.html “Schumer Files Police Report After Fraudulent Document Emerges.”] New York Times. (Retrieved March 6, 2018.)</ref><ref>Weill, Kelly (December 13, 2017) [https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-cernovich-chuck-johnson-alt-right-hyped-anti-schumer-forgery-that-plagiarized-conyers-complaint “Alt-Right Hyped Sexual Harassment Hoax to Attach Schumer.”] The Daily Beast. (Retrieved March 6, 2018.)</ref> Johnson cooperated with Capitol Hill Police and no charges were brought. |
||
=== Denunciation by Anti-Defamation League === |
=== Denunciation by Anti-Defamation League === |
||
Johnson attended President Donald Trump's [[2018 State of the Union Address]] as a guest of Rep. [[Matt Gaetz|Matthew Gaetz]] of Florida. In a letter to Gaetz, the national director of the [[Anti-Defamation League]] urged Gaetz to "discontinue any association with Johnson and to publicly repudiate his views immediately." The letter noted that Johnson's website WeSearchr raised more than $150,000 for the legal defense of neo-Nazi propagandist [[The Daily Stormer#Andrew Anglin|Andrew Anglin]] and that Johnson has written that he agrees with notorious Holocaust denier [[David Cole (journalist)|David Cole]] "about Auschwitz and the gas chambers not being real."<ref>Greenblatt, Jonathan A. (February 1, 2018) [https://www.adl.org/news/letters/adl-letter-to-congressman-matthew-gaetz-regarding-charles-johnson "ADL Letter to Congressman Matthew Gaetz Regarding Charles Johnson."] Anti-Defamation League.org. (Retrieved March 2, 2018.)</ref><ref name=thehill>{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/371644-gop-rep-invited-alt-right-troll-to-the-state-of-the-union|title=GOP rep invited alt-right activist to the State of the Union|author=Delk, Josh|publisher=''[[The Hill (website)|The Hill]]''|date=January 31, 2018|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en-US}}</ref> |
Johnson attended President Donald Trump's [[2018 State of the Union Address]] as a guest of Rep. [[Matt Gaetz|Matthew Gaetz]] of Florida. In a letter to Gaetz, the national director of the [[Anti-Defamation League]] urged Gaetz to "discontinue any association with Johnson and to publicly repudiate his views immediately." The letter noted that Johnson's website WeSearchr raised more than $150,000 for the legal defense of neo-Nazi propagandist [[The Daily Stormer#Andrew Anglin|Andrew Anglin]] and that Johnson has written that he agrees with notorious Holocaust denier [[David Cole (journalist)|David Cole]] "about Auschwitz and the gas chambers not being real."<ref>Greenblatt, Jonathan A. (February 1, 2018) [https://www.adl.org/news/letters/adl-letter-to-congressman-matthew-gaetz-regarding-charles-johnson "ADL Letter to Congressman Matthew Gaetz Regarding Charles Johnson."] Anti-Defamation League.org. (Retrieved March 2, 2018.)</ref><ref name=thehill>{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/371644-gop-rep-invited-alt-right-troll-to-the-state-of-the-union|title=GOP rep invited alt-right activist to the State of the Union|author=Delk, Josh|publisher=''[[The Hill (website)|The Hill]]''|date=January 31, 2018|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en-US}}</ref> |
||
Johnson disputed the Holocaust denial charge and is a donor to the [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]] and [[Yad Vashem]]. He claimed on his website that he published the Holocaust denial to get [[reddit]] to censor it. |
|||
==Gawker lawsuit== |
==Gawker lawsuit== |
||
In June 2015, Johnson sued [[Gawker]] for [[defamation]] in Missouri for $66 million for Gawker's publication of rumours that Johnson defecated on the floor while a student at Claremont McKenna College, and filed a similar suit in California in December.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/chuck-johnson-sues-gawker_n_7616756.html|title=Conservative Blogger Sues Gawker For $66 Million Over Public Pooping Rumors|first=Katie|last=Sola|date=June 19, 2015|work=[[Huffington Post]]}}</ref> In January 2016, the Missouri suit was dismissed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/blogger-s-defamation-lawsuit-tossed-out-of-missouri/article_1211e7ff-3971-5a5a-8f4a-0e79720af6fe.html|title=Blogger's defamation lawsuit tossed out — of Missouri|first=Robert|last=Patrick|date=January 15, 2016|work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]}}</ref> |
In June 2015, Johnson sued [[Gawker]] for [[defamation]] in Missouri for $66 million for Gawker's publication of rumours that Johnson defecated on the floor while a student at Claremont McKenna College, and filed a similar suit in California in December.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/chuck-johnson-sues-gawker_n_7616756.html|title=Conservative Blogger Sues Gawker For $66 Million Over Public Pooping Rumors|first=Katie|last=Sola|date=June 19, 2015|work=[[Huffington Post]]}}</ref> In January 2016, the Missouri suit was dismissed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/blogger-s-defamation-lawsuit-tossed-out-of-missouri/article_1211e7ff-3971-5a5a-8f4a-0e79720af6fe.html|title=Blogger's defamation lawsuit tossed out — of Missouri|first=Robert|last=Patrick|date=January 15, 2016|work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]}}</ref> Gawker settled with Johnson for an undisclosed sum after [[Peter Thiel]] bankrupted Gawker. |
||
==Founding of WeSearchr== |
==Founding of WeSearchr== |
||
In 2015, Johnson created a [[Crowdfunding|crowd-funding]] website called WeSearchr. The site has become a fundraising platform for [[alt-right]] causes, though Johnson says that was not his intention. [[Neo-Nazism|Neo-Nazi]] [[Andrew Anglin]], founder of ''[[The Daily Stormer]]'', used the website to raise money to defend himself against a lawsuit brought by the [[ACLU]] on behalf of a woman trolled by followers of Anglin.<ref>Castillo, Michelle (June 24, 2017) [https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/24/wesearchr-charles-johnson-alt-right-causes.html “The far right uses this site to fund its favorite causes—and its founder hopes to build a 'very profitable business.’”] CNBC.com. (Retrieved 11 November 2017.)</ref> |
In 2015, Johnson created a [[Crowdfunding|crowd-funding]] website called WeSearchr. The site has become a fundraising platform for [[alt-right]] causes, though Johnson says that was not his intention. [[Neo-Nazism|Neo-Nazi]] [[Andrew Anglin]], founder of ''[[The Daily Stormer]]'', used the website to raise money to defend himself against a lawsuit brought by the [[ACLU]] on behalf of a woman trolled by followers of Anglin.<ref>Castillo, Michelle (June 24, 2017) [https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/24/wesearchr-charles-johnson-alt-right-causes.html “The far right uses this site to fund its favorite causes—and its founder hopes to build a 'very profitable business.’”] CNBC.com. (Retrieved 11 November 2017.)</ref> Johnson says he believes everyone deserves a legal defense, including controversial speech. |
||
==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 06:08, 2 August 2018
Charles C. Johnson | |
---|---|
Born | Charles Carlisle Johnson October 22, 1988 Milton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Education | Claremont McKenna College |
Occupation | Author |
Years active | 2013 – present |
Website | GotNews Personal website |
Charles Carlisle Johnson (born October 22, 1988)[1] is the owner of the websites GotNews.com and WeSearchr.com. He has written two books.[2] Johnson is frequently described as an internet troll.[3][4][5][6]
Johnson bought bitcoin in early 2009. He invests his own money in several startups.
Education
Johnson graduated from Milton Academy in 2007. He then attended Claremont McKenna College, graduating in 2011, with degrees in Economics and Government.[7][self-published source] During his college years he was awarded the Eric Breindel Collegiate Journalism Award and the Publius Fellowship at the Claremont Institute.[8][9]
Controversies
Bob Menendez
Johnson reported a Daily Caller story that accused U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) of soliciting underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic.[10] A criminal investigation of the case found no evidence, and the women making the allegations later admitted they had been paid by a local lawyer to make the claims.[11][12] Melendez was later charged but found innocent.
Cory Booker
On October 14, 2013, Johnson published an article on The Daily Caller claiming that Newark mayor and senatorial candidate Cory Booker never lived in Newark, citing neighbors of Booker's alleged address as evidence.[13] Booker's campaign provided a reporter from Buzzfeed with rental checks and other documents for the address going back several years, and Booker's communication director dismissed Johnson's allegations as "laughable". According to Booker's campaign he lived there from late 2006 to shortly before he was elected Senator in 2013. Johnson stands by his reporting, claiming that Booker may well have paid rent but did not live in Newark.[14][15]
David D. Kirkpatrick
In January 2014, Johnson published an article reporting that New York Times reporter David D. Kirkpatrick was arrested for exhibitionism and posing for Playgirl.[16] Johnson's source for the Playgirl claim was a January 22, 1990, article in The Daily Princetonian, which was later revealed to be satirical.[17] Johnson apologized to Kirkpatrick.
2014 Mississippi Republican primary election
On June 30, 2014, Johnson published a story on GotNews accusing Mississippi senator Thad Cochran of bribing African-Americans to vote for him in the Mississippi Senate Republican primary.[18] The story came days after Cochran had defeated Tea Party challenger Chris McDaniel in a run-off election. Johnson claimed that a Black pastor named Stevie Fielder had told him he was paid by Cochran's campaign to bribe Black Democrats into voting for Cochran. Johnson paid the pastor for his statements, a controversial practice sometimes known as "checkbook journalism".[18] Fielder later partially recanted his story, saying that he had been speaking hypothetically, that he had turned down the offer, and that Johnson's recording of his interview had been selectively edited, a claim Johnson denies.[19]
During the election, Johnson also accused the Cochran campaign of being responsible for Mississippi Tea Party leader Mark Mayfield's suicide and encouraged his Twitter followers to flood a Cochran campaign conference call.[18][20]
Ferguson
During the Ferguson unrest, Johnson published the Instagram account of shooting victim Michael Brown and stated that the account "shows a violent streak that may help explain what led to a violent confrontation with Police officer Darren Wilson".[21] Johnson also filed a lawsuit to have Brown's juvenile records released. In Brown's home state of Missouri, the records of minors are private, but Johnson argued that the matter was of pressing public interest under the state's sunshine law. The county court disagreed.[22] Further appeal attempts by Johnson to unseal the records went as far as the State Supreme Court of Missouri, which denied his request.
In a separate incident during the unrest, Johnson published the addresses of two New York Times reporters, claiming that they published the known addresses of Darren Wilson.[23] The New York Times has said the reporters only revealed the street on which Wilson once lived.[23]
University of Virginia rape article
In December 2014, Rolling Stone columnist Sabrina Erdely published an article entitled "A Rape on Campus" about the alleged gang rape of a University of Virginia (UVA) student named "Jackie" in 2012 at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at UVA. The article was later found to be fabricated.[23] Johnson publicly identified Jackie but published the wrong photo of her. He retracted the photo but was correct about the woman.[24] which has since been proven to be false.[6]
Banning from Twitter
On May 24, 2015, Johnson sent a tweet asking his followers for donations to help him "take out" Black Lives Matter activist Deray McKesson. McKesson shared the tweet and took the tweet as a threat. Johnson was permanently banned from Twitter after several users reported him for harassment.[3] In 2018, Johnson sued Twitter for banning him on the grounds that Twitter violated his First Amendment right to free speech. The California Superior Court in Fresno struck down Johnson's lawsuit on June 6.[25] Johnson appealed.
Katie Walsh
In February 2017, Johnson's website GotNews.com claimed that deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh was “the source behind a bunch of leaks” in the White House without offering any concrete evidence.[26]
Charlottesville Rally
In August 2017, Johnson's website GotNews falsely accused a Michigan man of being responsible for the car attack on 12 August 2017 that killed and injured anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.[27] The Michigan man was subsequently harassed and had to make his Facebook page private.[27] Together with his father, the Michigan man filed a defamation lawsuit against 22 corporate and individual defendants, including Johnson.[28] On June 1, 2018, Johnson agreed to pay $25,000 to settle the lawsuit without admitting guilt. The case is ongoing.[29]
Trump campaign WikiLeaks liaison
In September 2016, Johnson published a story on GotNews about a soon-to-launch anti-Trump website called PutinTrump.org.[30] WikiLeaks forwarded the story in private to Donald Trump Jr. before publicly tweeting it. Business Insider speculated that Johnson's story in September on GotNews may have marked the beginning of Donald Trump Jr.'s—and the Trump campaign's—back-channel contact with Julian Assange and Wikileaks. (Johnson wrote after Wikileaks tweeted the story, "About 2 hours after our original article, Julian Assange's WikiLeaks repeated our discoveries. Guess which big leaks organization reads GotNews & WeSearchr on the downlow! Come on Julian, let's work together. WikiLeaks & WeSearchr is a match made in heaven. We can take down Hillary together.")[31] In August 2017, Johnson brokered and attended a meeting in London between GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Julian Assange to discuss a presidential pardon for Assange.[32]
Fraudulent sexual harassment claim against Senator Charles Schumer
On December 11, 2017 Johnson wrote on his Facebook page, “Michael Cernovich & I are going to end the career of a U.S. Senator.” Johnson claimed to have uncovered a sexual harassment lawsuit against Senator Charles Schumer. The lawsuit, however, turned out to be a forgery. Moreover, language in the forged lawsuit was copied verbatim from a real sexual-harassment complaint filed against Rep. John Conyers. Schumer referred the matter to Capitol police for investigation.[33][34] Johnson cooperated with Capitol Hill Police and no charges were brought.
Denunciation by Anti-Defamation League
Johnson attended President Donald Trump's 2018 State of the Union Address as a guest of Rep. Matthew Gaetz of Florida. In a letter to Gaetz, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League urged Gaetz to "discontinue any association with Johnson and to publicly repudiate his views immediately." The letter noted that Johnson's website WeSearchr raised more than $150,000 for the legal defense of neo-Nazi propagandist Andrew Anglin and that Johnson has written that he agrees with notorious Holocaust denier David Cole "about Auschwitz and the gas chambers not being real."[35][36]
Johnson disputed the Holocaust denial charge and is a donor to the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Yad Vashem. He claimed on his website that he published the Holocaust denial to get reddit to censor it.
Gawker lawsuit
In June 2015, Johnson sued Gawker for defamation in Missouri for $66 million for Gawker's publication of rumours that Johnson defecated on the floor while a student at Claremont McKenna College, and filed a similar suit in California in December.[37] In January 2016, the Missouri suit was dismissed.[38] Gawker settled with Johnson for an undisclosed sum after Peter Thiel bankrupted Gawker.
Founding of WeSearchr
In 2015, Johnson created a crowd-funding website called WeSearchr. The site has become a fundraising platform for alt-right causes, though Johnson says that was not his intention. Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin, founder of The Daily Stormer, used the website to raise money to defend himself against a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of a woman trolled by followers of Anglin.[39] Johnson says he believes everyone deserves a legal defense, including controversial speech.
References
- ^ "Charles Johnson Threatens To Sue Man Who Called Him A Child Molester". The Daily Caller. 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ https://www.encounterbooks.com/authors/charles-c-johnson/
- ^ a b Hess, Amanda (2015-05-28). "Chuck C. Johnson suspended from Twitter: Why?". Slate.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ Christian Dem in NC (2015-05-25). "Charles C. Johnson gets booted off Twitter for wanting to "take out" Deray McKesson". Dailykos.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ Wicentowski, Danny (2015-06-08). "St. Louis Lawyer Fighting to Reinstate Troll King Charles Johnson on Twitter | News Blog | St. Louis News and Events". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ a b Mac, Ryan (2017-01-09). "A Troll Outside Trump Tower Is Helping To Pick Your Next Government". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ "Charles Johnson". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ "Eric Breindel Collegiate Journalism Award - American Media Institute". American Media Institute. 2012-04-27. Archived from the original on 2017-05-20. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "Publius Alumni". The Claremont Institute. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Women: Sen. Bob Menendez paid us for sex in the Dominican Republic". The Daily Caller. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ Bump, Philip (March 8, 2013). "Daily Caller's Prostitution 'Scoop' Was So Thin Even the "New York Post" Passed". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Lazo, Luz (March 18, 2013). "Dominican police: 3 women paid to make false claims about Menendez". "Washington Post". Retrieved March 19, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|newspaper=
(help) - ^ Charles C. JohnsonContributor (2013-10-14). "Neighbors: Cory Booker never lived in Newark". The Daily Caller. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Cramer, Ruby (October 14, 2013). "Cory Booker: Yes, I Live In Newark". Buzzfeed. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
- ^ Weigel, David (2013-10-15). "Birther director claims Cory Booker does not live in Newark". Slate.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ Charles C. JohnsonContributor. "Benghazi reporter Kirkpatrick went nude constantly". The Daily Caller. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Weigel, David (2014-01-06). "Daily Caller's Charles C. Johnson cites 24-year-old fake Princeton newspaper to attack the David D. Kirkpatrick, the New York Times' Benghazi reporter". Slate.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ a b c Politics (2014-07-11). "Charles Johnson And The Mississippi Senate Race". Business Insider. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ Pender, Geoff (July 11, 2014). "Meridian man dials back vote-buying claim". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ^ Cogan, Marin (June 16, 2015). "Ugly: The aftershocks of a tea-party suicide". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ^ Wilstein, Matt (September 5, 2014). "Conservative Blogger Tries to Prove 'Violent Streak' with Michael Brown's Photos". Mediaite. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ^ Zara, Christopher (August 28, 2014). "Mike Brown Juvenile Record? Lawsuit Seeks Alleged Arrest History Of Slain Missouri Teen". International Business Times. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/business/media/sowing-mayhem-one-click-at-a-time.html
- ^ Howell, Patrick (2014-12-07). "Journalist publishes alleged name and photo of UVA rape victim". Dailydot.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ^ Thomsen, Jacqueline (6 June 2018) "Court strikes down far-right activist's lawsuit over Twitter ban." The Hill. (Retrieved 7 June 2018.)
- ^ "How Trump gets his fake news". POLITICO. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
- ^ a b Collins, Ben (2017-08-13). "Alt-Right Media Framed Wrong Person in Car Attack, Labeled Him 'Anti-Trump Druggie'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2017-08-13.
- ^ https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CharlottesvilleGotNews.pdf
- ^ Johnson, Charles (1 June 2018) "Exclusive: Holocaust Denier Chuck C. Johnson Pays $25,000 to Settle Defamation Lawsuit." Little Green Footballs. (Retrieved June 7, 2018).
- ^ Johnson, Charles C. (September 21, 2016) "BREAKING: George Soros-Tied Group Launching Trump-Russia Conspiracy Theory Website." GotNews. (Retrieved November 12, 2017.)
- ^ Bertrand, Natasha (November 15, 2017) "A notorious far-right blogger may have provoked WikiLeaks' outreach to Donald Trump Jr." Business Insider. (Retrieved November 11, 2017.)
- ^ Mai-Duc, Christine (August 17, 2017) "Rohrabacher on meeting with WikiLeaks’ Assange: We talked about 'what might be necessary to get him out.'" Los Angeles Times. (Retrieved November 16, 2017.)
- ^ Sullivan, Eileen (December 13, 2017) “Schumer Files Police Report After Fraudulent Document Emerges.” New York Times. (Retrieved March 6, 2018.)
- ^ Weill, Kelly (December 13, 2017) “Alt-Right Hyped Sexual Harassment Hoax to Attach Schumer.” The Daily Beast. (Retrieved March 6, 2018.)
- ^ Greenblatt, Jonathan A. (February 1, 2018) "ADL Letter to Congressman Matthew Gaetz Regarding Charles Johnson." Anti-Defamation League.org. (Retrieved March 2, 2018.)
- ^ Delk, Josh (January 31, 2018). "GOP rep invited alt-right activist to the State of the Union". The Hill. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Sola, Katie (June 19, 2015). "Conservative Blogger Sues Gawker For $66 Million Over Public Pooping Rumors". Huffington Post.
- ^ Patrick, Robert (January 15, 2016). "Blogger's defamation lawsuit tossed out — of Missouri". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ Castillo, Michelle (June 24, 2017) “The far right uses this site to fund its favorite causes—and its founder hopes to build a 'very profitable business.’” CNBC.com. (Retrieved 11 November 2017.)