Fake Twitter account prompts lawsuit

A University of San Diego law student says a fellow student defamed her on Twitter for her unwavering support of then-candidate Donald Trump. The woman, Tiffany Dehen, is suing the student (who has not been identified) for defamation of character in federal court as well as the college for allowing the harassment to occur.

According to the February 1 complaint, filed in federal court, Dehen says a student created a fake Twitter account in her name and began tweeting that she was a Nazi sympathizer because of her support for Trump. Doing so, says Dehen, may impact her ability to find a legal job in San Diego.

"This usage of plaintiffs first and last name used in conjuction [sic] with views associated with Hitler’s Nazi Germany are damaging to plaintiffs name, especially in this crucial juncture of her life where she is applying to California bar admittance and looking for a legal job in San Diego. It is a known fact law firms nowadays check social media sites and do background and Google searches before reaching out to a potential candidate."

Among the tweets sent by the fake account, a bogus claim that she was preparing for an audition to star in a new series called "The Real Housewives of Nazi-Occupied Russian Territory Formerly Known as America."

"I'm so excited for my audition for TV!" read the tweet. "I can't wait to make America proud! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #AmericaFirst #AmericaFirstOnly @POTUS twirls "if he's not Aryan, we're not marryin'!''

Dehen alleges that the perpetrator also attempted to create a phony Facebook profile using her name and images taken from real social media accounts.

Before the November presidential election, Dehen was not shy about her support for the Republican candidate. Dehen frequently retweeted Trump's tweets attacking his democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. After the election she posted pictures of herself dressed in a "Make America Great Again" sweater with her dog. "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY NEW PRESIDENT @realDonaldTrump and his gorgeous family!!!! WE LOVE YOU! LOVE 2 ADORABLE DEPLORABLES, TIFFANY & MITTY."

According to the lawsuit, “…It should be noted that Tiffany Dehen’s real twitter account consists of posts supporting the elected President of the United States, not Adolf Hitler, the socialist communist dictator from Germany. The fact that John Doe used Tiffany Dehen’s real name and linked the fictitious Twitter account to Tiffany Dehen’s real account by retweeting Tiffany Dehen’s posts shows that John Doe acted with actual malice and negligence."

Dehen is seeking $100 million in damages.

(corrected 2/8, 10:35 a.m.)