Last month, journalist and Trump gadfly Kurt Eichenwald was the victim of a criminal cyber-assault. Eichenwald has battled epilepsy for the better part of three decades. One of Trump’s brownshirts who was fully aware of this tweeted him a GIF with flashing lights, causing him to have a seizure. As a number of Kossacks who have epilepsy have attested, Eichenwald could have died that night.
Eichenwald isn’t taking this lying down. He asked a judge in his hometown of Dallas to order Twitter to reveal the identity of the bottom-feeder behind the “@jew_goldstein” account who sent him that tweet. Within hours, the judge granted the order, and Twitter—as if it had a choice—intends to comply.
Well, it looks like @jew_goldstein realizes he stepped in it. On Friday, Eichenwald got word that he’s trying to keep from being unmasked.
The bottom-feeder, known only as “John Doe,” claims that Eichenwald is out to “chill the First Amendment” by piercing his veil of anonymity. Last time I checked, the First Amendment is not carte blanche for harassment, stalking and (in this case) assault.
He further argues that revealing his identity would destroy his right to “anonymous free speech.” You mean to tell me that we should have the right to troll and harass someone with impunity, even when it crosses the line into criminal conduct? He also claims that Eichenwald is trying to make it easier to pursue “extra-judicial remedies” against him. But that argument fails when you review Eichenwald’s original motion, which Doe conveniently provided as an exhibit. It explicitly states that he wants to know Doe’s identity so he can sue for assault and other torts.
Whoever Doe is, he’s got some serious legal muscle behind him. It turns out that he’s being represented by Peckham Martin, a small but rich law firm in Houston. But that doesn’t make up for how ridiculous his claims seem to my non-lawyer’s eye.
From where I’m sitting, Goldstein/Doe is only delaying the inevitable.