Arkansas judge and father of five revealed to be a creepy internet troll
Today's lesson: Don't assume internet trolls are just jobless slackers who live in their parents' basement and never see the light of day. They are also fathers with respectable jobs of stature.
Meet Michael Maggio, a 52-year-old father of five and Arkansas circuit judge who was campaigning for a seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
But in his spare time, Maggio likes to spend quality time on the internet.
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On Wednesday, Maggio confessed to leaking confidential details about Charlize Theron's 2012 adoption in a series of online comments on the Louisiana State University fan message board.
But, wait, there's more. His anonymous profile "geaujudge" is littered with offensive comments that range from racist queries — "How many doctors do you hear named Dr. Taneesha or HaHa?" — to sexist statements — he reportedly said women needed to take care of a man's two basic needs of sex and food — to homophobic assertions — as in the time he equated gay and transgender sex to bestiality.
Since the accusations, which were first made by Blue Hog Report, a state commission is investigating Maggio's posting. As for the judge? He has quit his campaign and apologized in a statement:
Actually, his record isn't spotless. The Arkansas Times reports Maggio had been disciplined for spending campaign money on personal expenses and written up for flashing a badge at a state trooper during a speeding stop.
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Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.
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