Feds investigate racist texts sent across the country post-election

People crossed the state received racist matter messages successful the days aft Donald Trump was elected to a 2nd word for president, and now national authorities are investigating.

“In aggregate states, including Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, Black women, men, and students person reported receiving racist matter messages from an chartless source, urging them to study to a plantation to prime cotton,” the NAACP said successful a property release. Messages said variations of, “You person been selected to beryllium a location slave,” aliases “You person been selected to prime fabric astatine the nearest plantation,” according to screenshots and news reports. They besides often instruct recipients connected wherever to spell aliases erstwhile to beryllium fresh “With each of your belongings.”

CBS News reports that messages were sent from area codes successful astatine slightest 25 states, but respective were disconnected by Thursday. CBS recovered progressive accounts were linked to TextNow, which lets users create free telephone numbers. TextNow told CBS it “learned that 1 aliases much of our accounts whitethorn person been utilized to nonstop matter messages successful usurpation of our position of service,” and unopen them down.

Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel called the messages “unacceptable” successful a connection and says the agency’s enforcement bureau was already investigating. “We return this type of targeting very seriously,” she says. The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier said it was “in interaction pinch the Justice Department and different national authorities connected the matter” and encouraged the nationalist to study threats of unit to section rule enforcement.