Charles C. Johnson Isn’t Just Suspended From Twitter–He’s Permanently Banned

Earlier today, I mentioned that Charles C. Johnson, a right-wing troll and provocateur who thinks he’s a real journalist, got suspended from Twitter for asking for help in “taking out” Black Lives Matter activist Deray McKesson. While Johnson claims he was only trying to dox him, McKesson rightly took it as a threat. Twitter apparently felt the same way, and shut off his mic for the fourth time. Well, it turns out that this may have been the last straw. It looks like Charles C.–whose idea of “journalism” includes posting personal information and borderline criminal harassment–has been kicked off Twitter for good.

Charles C. Johnson at a PUSH meeting in 2013 (from Johnson's Facebook)
Charles C. Johnson at a PUSH meeting in 2013 (from Johnson’s Facebook)

Earlier today, Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs (no relation to Charles C.) noticed that Charles C. had created a new Twitter account, @citizentrolling. In short order, that account got shuttered as well–apparently as a violation of Twitter’s rules against creating serial accounts. Undaunted, Charles C. created a new account, @freechucknow. He also threatened to sue LGF for harassment, and has also threatened to sue Twitter for loss of income. I hope he’s got a lot of money on hand, because these suits appear to be so frivolous that Charles C. may end up footing the bill for LGF and Twitter’s legal expenses.

Later, LGF noticed that Charles C. had begged Twitter to let him have his old account back–only to be told that it wasn’t just suspended, it was banned.

Johnson being told he wasn't just suspended, but banned (courtesy Little Green Footballs)
Johnson being told he wasn’t just suspended, but banned (courtesy Little Green Footballs)

Shortly afterward, @freechucknow got ixnayed as well.

You’ll have to pardon me for wondering what took Twitter so long. Charles C. has spent most of the day whining about being persecuted for practicing real journalism. Well, among some examples of what he considers “journalism” are the four offenses that previously got him suspended from Twitter. Specifically, posting the address of someone who had been exposed to Ebola in Dallas, publicly asking for help in finding the boyfriend of a Dallas nurse who had been exposed to Ebola, and trying to out a woman who claimed to have been raped. In the last case, he openly admitted to invasion of privacy and potentially criminal harassment. And that’s not even counting the numerous times when he should have been suspended for steering into cyberstalking and harassment.

Sorry, Chuck, you get no sympathy from me whatsoever. I say this as someone who actually was persecuted for practicing journalism. Many of my longtime readers both here and at Daily Kos may recall that in my college days, I was tricked into joining a highly abusive and controlling hypercharismatic campus ministry aligned with Morning Star International (now known as Every Nation), a network of dominionist and Christofascist churches and ministries. In my junior year, several of my former “sisters” in that bunch got the bright idea to falsely accuse me of harassing them by following them around at all hours late at night–a transparent attempt to retaliate against me for speaking out against their deceptive and guilt-tripping tactics. But it didn’t work–and had they not had the decency to drop their claims when it was apparent there was no evidence to support them, I would have had the lot of them, as well as their ministry and church, run out of Chapel Hill on a rail.

Twitter has claimed that it is making an effort to crack down on cyberbullying and threats. Now that it looks like a guy who has made a career out of such tactics is not only suspended but gone for good, it’s safe to assume that Twitter is putting its money where its mouth is. See ya, Chuck. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.