Pro-Trump Influencer Benny Johnson is being sued for defamation by ICE protesters

Two protesters have sued conservative media personality Benny Johnson for defamation, saying he wrongly branded them violent "left-wing terrorists" in videos he posted from outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois. NPR and The Independent report that the complaint was filed on Friday by Kyle Frankovich, a Harvard University data scientist, and Maureen Foody, a court reporter, according to NPR · The Independent.

Both plaintiffs say they were demonstrating in the zone set aside for protest when they were seized last October, and both were released without charges. Johnson, who was riding along with Border Patrol's Gregory Bovino, told viewers they had attacked officers. The Independent adds that the suit accuses him of knowing this was false and repeating it over consecutive days to build his following, and that abusive messages followed. Images of Frankovich bound in zip ties were later used for recruiting; The Independent attributes that to the Department of Homeland Security, while NPR names ICE.

NPR reports Frankovich says online posts falsely cast him as an antifa leader, and that he and his partner stopped walking their dog alone. Johnson did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR · The Independent and The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR · The Independent → Also at The Independent →