We Fought for Free Speech. And We Won. Help Me Close the Chapter.
On July 9, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously overturned my conviction. On September 23, 2025, a full judgment of acquittal was entered. After four and a half years, the nightmare is over.
TOTAL EXONERATION.
But the legal bills that came with winning are a painful reminder of the sting of weaponization and lawfare that we all endured for four years under Biden.
What Happened
In January 2021 — seven days after Joe Biden was inaugurated — four FBI agents knocked on my door at 7 a.m. "Are you Douglass Mackey? We have a warrant for your arrest." The first words out of my mouth were: "For what?"
The answer? Two memes I posted on Twitter in 2016. Satirical posts suggesting Hillary Clinton supporters could vote by text. The kind of political humor that has defined American discourse forever. The government called it a federal conspiracy to deprive Americans of their right to vote.
President Trump named me personally in a national address, calling the prosecution exactly what it was — a government censorship operation designed to silence free speech. Tucker Carlson devoted a 27-minute exclusive to my story before sentencing and told his viewers: "Remember as you watch that this could be you." Donald Trump Jr. went on Rumble to sound the alarm: what they did to me was meant to silence all of us. Glenn Beck had me on the morning after the acquittal and put it plainly: "You have to be a nincompoop to believe this meme was real."
They were right. The Second Circuit agreed. The court found the government had failed to prove I knowingly entered into any conspiracy and that no rational jury could have found otherwise, and ordered the district court to immediately enter a judgment of acquittal.
It took four and a half years of my life, but in the end, the truth won out.
This victory truly belongs to all of us: I couldn't have done it without the support of patriots everywhere.
The Debt
Winning costs money. Fighting the federal government through trial, sentencing, and a full appellate victory costs a lot of money. The attorneys who fought for me delivered, and they believed in this fight as much as I did. Now I owe them.
Every dollar goes directly toward retiring the legal obligations from this fight.
Why Now
The 2026 midterms are coming. The same Democrats who weaponized the DOJ against me, against President Trump, against parents at school board meetings, and against pro-life activists are already mapping out their next round of lawfare. A midterm wave puts investigative subpoenas, state attorney general offices, and prosecutorial power back in their hands. The machinery that came for me will be available to them again — and they will use it.
Meanwhile, my family has paid a price that goes beyond legal bills. The night I flew to New York for sentencing, my son was delivered in an emergency birth. I didn't know it when I boarded that plane. I missed his birth. I came home to a baby in the NICU and an appeal hanging over my head, and that is where my wife and I lived for months — hospital visits, court filings, and uncertainty that takes away your sleep. My son was in the NICU for three and a half months. He was born with cerebral palsy and has significant ongoing medical needs. The federal government did not put him in the NICU, but four and a half years of prosecution, legal bills, and the stress that comes with being made an enemy of the state did not make any of it easier.
The criminal case is won. The medical fight for my son is ongoing. Closing out this legal debt is how we finally turn the page and give our family the breathing room to focus on what comes next.
I have also filed a tort claim against the government — and if it settles favorably, it could ultimately cover some or all of this debt. But that is a big "if" that I cannot count on, and I cannot count on it now. Litigation takes years, outcomes are never guaranteed, and contingency fees mean there is no guarantee any recovery will be dollar-for-dollar. Separately, I am pursuing institutional accountability and reforms — pushing to ensure the DOJ and FBI cannot do to another American what they did to me. The attorneys on that effort are working pro bono, because they believe, as I do, that this is about more than money. That fight is about principle. This campaign is about the debt that exists today, while my family is dealing with everything else on our plate.
The chapter isn't closed until the bills are paid. Your contribution makes that possible.
How to Give
GiveSendGo: You're already here. Please consider a donation.
Meme Defense Fund (501c3 — Tax-Deductible): Visit memedefensefund.com, or mail a check made out to "American Cause — Meme Defense" to:
American Cause, Re: Meme Defense Fund, 10321 Hunt Farm Ln, Oakton, VA 22124
Cash, Check, or Money Order: Make out to Douglass Mackey and send to:
Douglass Mackey, PO Box 6332, Delray Beach, FL 33482
A Note on Taxes & Donations
Donations through GiveSendGo and direct personal gifts are not tax-deductible. For a tax-deductible contribution, please use the Meme Defense Fund (501c3). Donors giving $15,000 or more per year may be subject to gift tax reporting requirements — consult a tax advisor for guidance. All donations are final; no refunds will be issued.
Thank you for standing with me. God bless. — Doug
