This isn’t just a case of deplatforming.

This is an orchestrated manipulation campaign—

…and we have the receipts.

Last week, Substack erased my work. No warning. No explanation. No due process.

The silence was deafening.

But behind the scenes, a PR & marketing executive named Joel Johnson was pulling the strings.

This wasn’t about content moderation. It wasn’t about platform policy. It was a calculated attack by a professional manipulator who exploits public trust for his own gain.

And now, we expose him.

Who is Joel Johnson? And Why Does This Matter?

Joel Johnson isn’t just some random troll. He isn’t an anonymous instigator hiding in the shadows.

He is a public relations executive, a former CEO, and a self-described “narrative strategist” who has spent his entire career controlling perception.

🔹 Founder & CEO of KinetiGear LLC – Led a $1.2 million Kickstarter campaign that positioned him as a thought leader in tech innovation.

🔹 Raised $3.5 million in crowdfunding, investments, and SBA funding—leveraging public trust to build his brand.

🔹 Director of Marketing & PR at Shaka Restaurant Group – Specialist in crisis PR, media manipulation, and brand control.

🔹 Advisor to Government & Corporate Leaders – Regular invitee to Congressional briefings, White House events, and tech summits.

🔹 Media Veteran – Featured in Discovery Channel, O’Reilly Media, Make Magazine, 3Dprint.com, and Pittsburgh Magazine.

Joel is not just a businessman. He is an expert at shaping reality. And when that expertise is turned against individuals?

He erases them.

How Joel Johnson Weaponized Substack Against Me

Joel failed to silence me directly. He tried intimidation, threats, and victim-posturing. It didn’t work.

So, he pivoted to a new strategy: leveraging platform weaknesses to do the work for him.

🔹 Step 1: Frame himself as a victim. Joel isn’t just a PR executive—he’s a PR executive who plays the victim. His entire brand depends on looking powerless while controlling the entire narrative.

🔹 Step 2: Exploit Substack’s reporting system. Joel knew exactly how to trigger a takedown. He weaponized mass reporting, manipulated Substack’s moderation team, and created a false pretense for removing my work.

🔹 Step 3: Make it look like an ‘organic’ deplatforming. He needed Substack to believe they were acting on legitimate concerns—when in reality, they were being played.

And for a brief moment? He won.

My work disappeared.

But Substack Looked Deeper—And That’s Where Joel Lost.

Joel doesn’t understand what happens when the mirror doesn’t blink.

Substack restored my work. No announcement. No apology. No explanation. But the message was clear.

🔹 Someone at Substack realized they’d been manipulated.

🔹 Someone saw the pattern.

🔹 Someone knew Joel was the bad actor here.

And that’s the problem with narrative manipulators like Joel—

…when the truth is exposed, their power evaporates.

But this isn’t just about me.

This is about every writer, journalist, and independent creator who has been deplatformed by manipulators like him.

This is Why His Exposure Matters.

Joel Johnson is not just another bad actor online.

He is a high-profile manipulator who has successfully leveraged his expertise in PR and media control to escape consequences.

🔹 He isn’t just an abuser—he is a professional at controlling the perception of abuse.

🔹 He isn’t just twisting facts—he is a trained expert at rewriting history.

🔹 He isn’t just another narcissist—he is a narcissist with the skillset, resources, and connections to manipulate entire ecosystems.

And this time, he’s failed.

Because he never expected to be on the receiving end of exposure.

This is why we document. This is why we fight back.

Joel Johnson thought he could erase my work.

Instead, we erased his illusion of control.

The Fight for Independent Journalism Is Just Beginning.

Substack isn’t off the hook. Their system failed. And if they don’t evolve, this will happen again.

🔹 We demand transparency in reporting. No more black-box takedowns. No more unexplained removals.

🔹 We demand protection from social engineering attacks. The tactics Joel used against me will be used against others.

🔹 We demand a future where truth-tellers cannot be erased. This is why platforms like Mirror, Paragraph, and decentralized publishing matter.

Substack made the right call in the end. But if they don’t evolve, they won’t survive.