Charles C. Johnson

Charles Carlisle Johnson (born October 22, 1988) is an American political activist who was a public figure in the years 2013 to 2019. A self-described "investigative journalist", Johnson is often described as an internet troll and has been repeatedly involved in the proliferation and spread of multiple fake news stories. Johnson was owner of the alt-right websites GotNews.com, WeSearchr.com, and Freestartr.com, all of which were short-lived. He wrote two books, both published by Encounter Books in 2013.

Johnson indicated he was a federal informant, as reported by Business Insider, and through a federal lawsuit against Clearview AI. The confirmed Johnson's role as a source for the FBI on Israeli espionage in the United States.

In 2025, Johnson was found liable for civil racketeering and ordered to pay at least $71 million to the plaintiffs. They accused him of falsely portraying himself as a U.S. intelligence asset with the aim of extorting them for large sums of money and equity. Johnson appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. On November 20, 2025, Johnson was sent to jail for contempt of court after failing to comply with post-judgment discovery and stealing a mug from the courthouse. He was released on February 5, 2026.