Newsweek reporter Kurt Eichenwald was a rare breed–a journalist who wasn’t afraid to call out Donald Trump. Last month, he was one of the victims of one of the most outrageous attacks on Trump opponents in a campaign full of them. A pro-Trump thug tweeted Eichenwald a flashing GIF telling him that he deserved a seizure for his anti-Trump posts. He was well aware that Eichenwald has battled epilepsy for more than three decades.
Eichenwald struck back fast and hard. He persuaded a Texas district judge to order Twitter to identify the person who operates the “@jew_goldstein” account who sent him that GIF. Twitter had little option but to comply with the order, and agreed to have one of its officials be deposed by Eichenwald’s legal team. This all but assures that this bottom-feeder will be unmasked. Once that happens, he will face criminal assault charges–possibly at the federal level–as well as a crushing civil suit.
Well, on Friday afternoon, Eichenwald tweeted an indication that the deplorable who sent that tweet is starting to feel the squeeze.
Update: Guy who intentionally triggered a seizure in me has filed a motion to stop Twitter from revealing who he is. https://t.co/e6WXN9xYmt
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) January 7, 2017
On Friday, @jew_goldstein filed a motion asking Texas judge Bonnie Goldstein to cancel her order, and asked her to grant him a protective order barring the revelation of his identity. The user, identified only as “John Doe,” contended that Eichenwald was on a crusade to “chill the First Amendment and further embarrass and harass” him by having him unmasked. This is one of a number of patently laughable claims in this motion. The First Amendment is not, and never has been, a cover for harassment, criminal assault, and stalking. Sending a GIF with flashing lights to someone whom you know has epilepsy amounts to assault.
Doe further contends that unmasking him would destroy his right to “anonymous free speech.” By his logic, you would have the right to troll and harass someone with impunity, even when it crosses the line into criminal conduct. Doe also claims that Eichenwald is just trying to make it easier to take “extra-judicial remedies” against him, such as “revenge or retribution.” But then Doe hangs himself by including Eichenwald’s initial motion as one of the exhibits. He explicitly states that he wants to reveal Doe’s identity in order to sue him for assault.
All Doe is doing is delaying the inevitable day when he is exposed. He is also only delaying the time when he is convicted for his outrageous crime and is sent to prison where he belongs.
(featured image: screenshot courtesy MSNBC via Mediaite)
