Early in my career, I profiled a young progressive activist who organized some interesting — and particularly disruptive — protests during the Occupy movement zeitgeist at Nashford-Kelp College in rural Iowa. I first met the guy through a piece I wrote for Slate in January 2012, so this was early-peak Occupy. He was an interesting dude; a double-major in comp-sci and business who had effectively flipped on his family, an old-Chicago-via-Richmond blue blood clan of financiers.

Of course, “trust-fund college kid resists familial legacy” isn’t exactly a headline, but this student really burned it down: his work with Occupy involved writing open-source code that opened the door for handy-enough hackers to track and interrupt Nashford-Kelp’s trading portfolio, which at the time was managed by some now-incarcerated fudge-and-play hedge funders, including our young would-be revolutionary’s uncle and grandfather.

You know their names: The Drammers.

You might even remember the student’s name: Erick Drammer.

But on the off chance that Erick Drammer doesn’t ring a bell, you might be from the corner of the internet that’s more familiar with his current nom de plume: Skankc*nt_69. Or, perhaps he would prefer “nom de guerre,” as the lead host of Skankified 2000, the barn-busting far-far-dirtbag-left podcast currently taking in just over $180,000 every month from Patreon supporters.

I haven’t spoken to the guy in years. He asked me out for a date after the Slate story ran and I turned him down, citing the best excuse any woman has, and I didn’t even have to pretend: I mostly (only) date women! Still, I thought I ended up with a pretty positive relationship with Drammer. At least, I didn’t think I had an antagonistic one.

Unfortunately I’ve had to turn comments off of past posts, and lock down my social media, because of last week’s viral clip from his Skankified 2000 podcast, wherein Drammer accuses me of trying to capitalize on the wholly baseless charges against me. (Transcript follows.)

No way, man, hold up on the fucking parade for Jasmine Rebuke. You’re making it sound like she’s Captain Fucking America. Or Captain Marvel, at least Captain America’s got a set of balls on him. She wrote a blog post. Saying what? That our fascist fucking zombie president is cracked out on RevTech juice? No shit! We knew that already. And she knew the risk she was taking and now she wants us to treat her like she’s, I don’t know, Mother Teresa. For doing her job? Which by the way she’s been pretty shit at for a long time. I mean, that Forbes thing she wrote about Carron Nielsberg? The savior of Silicon Valley or whatever? That was a straight up suck-and-swallow job. I’m not saying she deserves to go to federal prison for being a mediocre journalist, but let’s reset the levels, here. There are literally people in the streets literally risking their lives – guys facing off against Rudy Ruiz’s actual fascist goon squads, including kids, legally armed with AK-47s, while Jasmine Rebuke hides behind a keyboard, pushing her little Go Fund Me page. I mean good luck to her, but I’m not giving her a dime. 

I really can’t stress this enough: If I could be in any situation other than the one I’m in right now, I’d be there. None of this holds a profit motive for me, and I’d rather continue flying under the radar so I can just do my regular job.

I understand that the goal of podcasts such as Skankified and their ilk thrive on hot takes that garner listeners, but let’s be clear: It’s vastly more remunerative for Drammer to float an entirely out-of-pocket idea about my motivations than it is for me to just ask for basic legal defense funding. For Drammer to suggest that I’m the one on the take? Makes him vastly more money than any appeal I’ve ever made for my legal fees.

If anyone’s on the take, it’s not me. I mean, it’s not even close. Skankified 2000 brings in nearly $2 million every year between Drammar and his co-host, Ariadne Ploral (née Laura Tarrant). And that’s not even mentioning whatever they’re making off of their Netlifx “comedy” special and their Substack newsletter, which has somewhere upwards of 20,000 paid subscribers.

I appreciated what Drammer did during Occupy. I even listen to his podcast sometimes, even when it’s not explicitly job to do so! I hate contributing to the “leftists are fighting themselves” narrative in these times (not least because I’ve striven to cast myself as a nonpartisan observer), but I can’t let something like this go without standing up for myself. I don’t really know who “we” is right now, but I know that there are a lot of people who oppose what President Ruiz is doing to the country, and I’ve recently gotten a very clear idea of what Ruiz’s goal is: to silence dissent by any means necessary.

I wrote what I wrote about President Ruiz collapsing in the Chicago hotel because it is what I witnessed with my own eyes, and I stand by it — lawyers be damned. I know Ruiz has clear ties to a volatile tech magnate with deeply complicated views about the technology he says he has mastered. I asked for none of this, and it’s been an awful journey so far, even with the incredible support of my readers.

I’m not ready now, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, to talk about what it was like to be behind bars for writing nothing but the truth. And I don’t give a damn if you donate to my legal fund. I don’t give a damn if Erick Drammer donates to my legal fund.

But I refuse to be cast as a grifter for telling the truth.

Anyway, here’s my usual news roundup:

What Else I’m Reading Right Now:

• “Dozens more arrested at UT-Austin as police use pepper spray, flash bangs to break up protests” (Texas Tribune)
• “SPJ demands Texas Department of Public Safety drop charges and arrest warrant against Fox 7 News photojournalist” (SPJ)
• “Texas has a new lake for the first time in nearly 30 years” (CBS News)
• “Layoffs and upheaval at Texas universities spur fear as lawmakers continue DEI crackdown” (Texas Tribune)
• “Columbia Students Arrested Over Campus Rally May Face Other Consequences” (NYT)
• “East Texas counties see flooding, extreme winds as storms batter area” (KLTV)

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You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

It was quite the scrum outside the Dallas Federal Courts Building yesterday! I can’t believe that literally hundreds of folks came out to support me at a hearing that ended up lasting less than 20 minutes. (The Dallas Morning News reported a crowd of over 300 people!)

I’m so grateful to everyone who waited in that ridiculous line to get into the courtroom—I heard some people were outside as early as 6am. I am genuinely so honored by y’all’s dedication. I’m especially grateful that, while there were definitely a few tense moments, the whole thing went down without any serious conflict.

For me, this isn’t about protesting or drama or hashtag-resistance. It’s just about getting a fair hearing. Of course I super appreciate the speakers who came out, and especially the support from the Movement for a Free Press and the Texas Journalism Guild for organizing the rally. Faith and Niles really had the crowd going, and I wish I could have said more. But I’m trying to be mindful about the advice of my legal counsel, so I’ll just share this recording of the statement I read at the pre-hearing press conference, with a transcript below:

Hi, everybody. I wish I could take questions, but on the advice of my legal team, I’m only going to read a statement. Thanks for understanding.

First, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me over these last several weeks. Your kind words and generous donations to my defense fund have given me hope during a very difficult time. I have been subjected to baseless attacks on my character and professionalism, which have only made dealing with these unjust charges that much harder. So let me be clear: I am innocent. I am an accredited member of the press whose only goals are to inform the public and, when necessary, to hold elected officials to the basic standards of accountability that our democracy demands. The facts of my case show, beyond a doubt, that these charges are nothing but an attempt to silence the free press. I have always reported honestly, fairly, and accurately in everything I have covered. I have every belief that, following a swift resolution to this case, I will continue to do so. Thank you. That’s all I have for now, sorry.

Do I sound like a total, fragile weirdo? This whole thing has been so, so weird. I’m used to being on the other end of the mic, and being the one who won’t take “no” for an answer when someone says they can’t comment. But I really can’t!

I don’t have anything incredible to report from the hearing. It was mostly procedural, just to prove that I am who I am, that I’m not on the run, and that I refuse to plead guilty to these baseless charges that I am some kind of traitor or spy, brought by the Ruiz Administration, which has previously vetted and historically treated me as the legitimate, accredited journalist I am. But even that is maybe too much to say! Sorry, lawyers!

I would love to say more about what I’ve been through since February, but I have to let today’s statement speak for itself.

Since this has nothing to do with my case: I was able to spend some time with my closest friends watching the eclipse on Monday. We drove out to Dallas and spent the afternoon on a shockingly sunny downtown rooftop (the forecast had been for clouds!) and I got to feel extremely small in the vast scope of things, which I found surprisingly soothing. It was an intense reminder that we are all spinning infinitely around on a big blue marble in space, whether we are powerful politicians wielding history-changing biotech or regular folks just watching the skies with our pets and friends. Whatever happens to me or us or the country, even in these ~ unprecedented times ~ is part of a much bigger, million-year story of humanity. I don’t know, maybe I’m grasping at straws. It was really something.

I miss being able to send y’all my usual dispatches. I’m going to try to find a way to stay on the RevTech/election ’24 beat without compromising my case, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, here’s my usual news roundup:

What Else I’m Reading Right Now:

• “How a Case Against Fox News Tore Apart a Media-Fighting Law Firm” (NYT)
• “Texas power outage map: Powerful storm leaves over 100,000 homes, businesses without power” (USA Today)
• “Texas AG Ken Paxton reaches deal to end securities fraud charges after 9 years” (AP)
• “Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Harris County to block program that would give cash to poorest households” (Texas Tribune)
• “‘Just a whole lotta mess’: East Texas looks at aftermath following heavy storms” (KETK)
• “UFO over East Texas? Here’s what it really was” (CBS 19)

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You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

Hi, y’all! Minne’s newsletter manager, Andrea, here again.

As Minne would say, “sorry for the radio silence,” but we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that Minne is comfortable and safe following her unjust detainment in federal custody for over two weeks in February and March. She’s been prepping hard with her legal defense team, and we’re confident these charges will be dismissed.

To that end: after a couple of delays, it looks like Minne will have a hearing in Dallas on Wednesday, April 10 concerning the wholly inappropriate allegations that have been lodged against her by the Ruiz Administration.

There will be a support rally for Jasmine at 9am outside the federal courts building in downtown Dallas on Wednesday, and we hope her newsletter readers can join us and help spread the word. Your support on social media and through Minne’s legal defense Go Fund Me page have already made a huge difference in lifting Minne’s spirits!

Endless thanks are due to the Movement for a Free Press and the Texas Journalism Guild, who have organized and are sponsoring the rally, which will feature appearances from Congressman Niles Kirkpatrick and Faith J. Descartes of the Young People’s New Freedom Movement.

We don’t yet know whether Jasmine will be available to speak at, after, or about the hearing, but please be assured that your presence supporting her against these unfair charges mean the world to her, and to the untold numbers of journalists and average American citizens who have already been silenced.

We acknowledge that those who stand against these charges in public are taking a not-insubstantial risk in coming out to support the freedom of the press; we encourage ralliers to ensure they have contact information for legal representation through entities such as the ACLU of Texas and others that may be able to provide support in the event of mass arrests. We’re hoping for — and expecting — a quiet day, but want ralliers to be prepared regardless.

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You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.