Ted Cruz floats possibility of CNN extortion over handling of Reddit user’s identity

In response to CNN leaving the door open to publishing the Reddit user’s name, Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted out the text of a Georgia penal law that holds, “a person commits the offense of theft by extortion when he unlawfully obtains property of or from another person by threatening to … disseminate any information tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule or to impair his credit or business repute.”

CNN is based in Georgia.

Cruz also tweeted the text to a similar New York law.

CNN published a story Wednesday describing how it tracked down the Reddit user who created the Trump wrestling GIF.

In the story, CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski wrote that CNN is not publishing the name of the Reddit user, known as HanA**holeSolo’s, “because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again.”

“In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same,” Kaczynski wrote. But Kaczynski also said that “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.”

CNN released a statement denying allegations of coercion following a wave of backlash.

“CNN decided not to publish the name of the Reddit user out of concern for his safety,” the statement said. “Any assertion that the network blackmailed or coerced him is false. The user, who is an adult male, not a 15-year-old boy, apologized and deleted his account before ever speaking with our reporter. CNN never made any deal, of any kind, with the user. In fact, CNN included its decision to withhold the user’s identity in an effort to be completely transparent that there was no deal.”