Two 'John Doe' Democrats sue over Gang of Five texts

Two anonymous Hamilton County Democratic Party activists filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Cincinnati on Monday, claiming they were unknowingly caught up in the political fight over Cincinnati City Council ‘Gang of Five' text messages. John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 accuse the city of violating their constitutional rights and invading their privacy by releasing text messages they had sent to the five city council members in 2018. They say the city illegally exposed intimate information about their lives -- political associations, friendships, attitudes and beliefs, and private activities -- when they released text messages that eventually were given to the local media.