Election Disinformation

Did the Russian cities of Vyborg, Petrozavodsk, and Murmansk decide with an overwhelming majority vote to leave Russia and join Finland? No, that's not true: This fictional multipart story is illustrated with an AI-generated image of "unidentified militants" and a fictional map of "Greater Finland". The fake news narrative is a twist on an idea from the early 1900s regarding…

On June 3, 2025 I was invited to make a statement during a public hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium organized by the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield. The hearing was titled "Enforcement of the EU Digital Rulebook and political advertising in the context of foreign interference: understanding Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and disinformation…

Did NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte publicly say that "if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin, he will personally expel the United States from the alliance"? No, that's not true: A NATO spokesperson described the claim as "bogus." The rumor was promoted by a Russian propaganda website and anonymous pro-Kremlin Telegram channels. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X…

Did the FBI put out a warning on X about illegal printers being used to make passports for remote early voting? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the FBI released such a warning. The FBI did release a warning against the "inauthentic use of bureau name, insignia in promoting false election-related narratives" such as the one seen…

Did the FBI and U.S. Department of Education release a video recommending that U.S. schools close until November 11, 2024, because of a significant increase in the risk of school shootings and riots during the presidential election? No, that's not true: The FBI has called the video "fake" and its contents "false." The U.S. Department of Education also has not…

Does a video prove the CIA identified 20 people who organized vote stuffing by using the identities of dead Americans who had lived in Europe? No, that's not true: The CIA told Lead Stories the allegation that they identified deceased Americans voting is "absolutel false." The video spreading the vote-stuffing story has substantial evidence of manipulation, an AI detector organization…

Did the FBI post a video warning that Democrats had rigged voting by prisoners in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona ahead of the 2024 presidential election? No, that's not true: The FBI put out a bulletin calling this a "false narrative." It said the video was "not authentic" and its contents were "false." The claim appeared in a post for a…

Did Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin say "we won't be certifying the election" if Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election? No, that's not true: Raskin posted on his verified X account that the quote was "fabricated." Lead Stories could not find any evidence that Raskin made this statement. His website did not have any links that corroborated the purported statement.…

Does a video show an informant, who allegedly was once an aide to Arizona's secretary of state, telling about state plans to rig the election in favor of Kamala Harris? No, that's not true: This video is fabricated disinformation from a Russian propaganda network. A media forensics expert has identified it as one more example of the effort to spread…

Did the FBI publish a video reporting that it had apprehended three linked groups that had committed election fraud with mail-in ballots on behalf of the Democrats? No, that's not true: The FBI has published a statement on X that these videos are not authentic, are not from the FBI, and the content they depict is false. This bogus video…