14 DAY TRIAL // Anonymous is determined to force BART spokesman Linton Johnson to quit his job and is resorting to blackmail to achieve its goal.
The hacktivist group has released a photo depicting a man appearing to be Linton Johnson showing his genitalia at a party.
The photo was widely circulated on Twitter and is accompanied by a message reading "If you are going to be a dick to the public, then Im sure you dont mind showing your [own] to the public.... Umad Bro? #Bartlulz"
Linton Johnson is the chief spokesperson of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) service. He recently answered questions about its decision to cut off cellphone service in seven stations in order to thwart a rumored protest.
The decision has enraged civil rights activists and was compared to the actions of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak who ordered a country-wide cellphone blackout during this year's protests.
Anonymous vowed retribution for BART's decision and so far the hacktivist group has organized a real-life protest that disrupted service at several stations, hacked two of its websites and leaked sensitive information stolen from them.
BART chief spokesperson Linton Johnson admitted to reporters that the idea to cut off cellphone service was his. "It came to me in the middle of the morning. I sent it to the police department and they said they liked it," he previously stated.
It's not yet clear from where Anonymous members got the lewd picture from or if the man it shows is indeed Linton Johnson. However, the group claims it has 14 other similar photos.
"Linton Johnson we have 14 embarrassing photos of you. You have 24 hours to step down #OpBART," the hacktivist collective warned through one of its Twitter accounts.