In June, Rep. Devin Nunes sued Twitter, as well as three individual Twitter accounts, for defamation. The complaint, which asked for $250,000,000 in damages and $350,000 in punitive damages, argued that, "As part of its agenda to squelch Nunes' voice, cause him extreme pain and suffering, influence the 2018 Congressional election, and distract, intimidate and interfere with Nunes' investigation into corruption and Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential Election, Twitter did absolutely nothing." What were these disparaging and defaming accounts, attacking Nunes in such a way as to warrant this lawsuit? They were Devin Nunes' Mom (@DevinNunesMom) and Devin Nunes' Cow (@DevinCow).
That’s right: one account purporting to be owned by Devin Nunes’ cow and one purporting to be owned by Devin Nunes’ mom. Well, the owner of these accounts has filed his own legal papers in hopes of squashing Nunes’ lawsuit. The Sacramento Bee reported on the filing, noting that it argues, for one, that “No reasonable person would believe that Devin Nunes’ cow actually has a Twitter account, or that the hyperbole, satire and cow-related jokes it posts are serious facts.” It also says that no sentient person would believe that one of Devin Nunes’ actual cows would have and be able to use a Twitter account, since “It is self-evident that cows are domesticated livestock animals and do not have the intelligence, language, or opposable digits needed to operate a Twitter account.”
Adam Parkhomenko, who owns the account, submitted the filing, and the details are as hilarious as you might expect. The filing makes some salient points:
And so a hashtag was born: #DirectorOfButtLicking. And it has gone viral.