Posse Comitatus

Did U.S. Marines arrest former IRS director Charles Rettig? No, that's not true: The U.S. military does not have the authority to arrest civilians because of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act. Lead Stories could not find any legitimate news reports on such an arrest, and this claim comes from a satirical site that has a history of writing fictional stories…

Did the U.S. military convict Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky of treason on May 29, 2023? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories, "There is no truth to this claim." It is also not in the U.S. military's jurisdiction to arrest civilians, and this claim is from a website that regularly publishes…

Did the U.S. military arrest Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as of March 17, 2023? No, that's not true: It is not the U.S. military's jurisdiction to arrest civilians. This claim comes from a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in an article published by Real Raw News on March 16, 2023, titled "Military Arrests Lori Lightfoot |…

Did the U.S. military arrest vaccine scientist Richard Tillyer for "accessory to mass murder and negligent homicide" in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: The U.S. military does not have the authority to arrest civilians outside of certain circumstances authorized by an act of Congress. The claim was made on Real Raw News, a website that publishes…

Did the Special Forces, a branch of the U.S. Army, raid the Biden family beach house in Delaware? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to back up the claim, and Real Raw News has a history of writing about fake Special Forces raids. This website is also well known for making up stories about public figures. The claim…

Did the military arrest former FDA "Commisioner" Stephen Hahn? No, there's no evidence to substantiate that: The claim was reported on a website that is well-known for making up stories about public figures. The site posts a disclaimer warning readers that it contains "humor, parody, and satire." The headline on the story making the claim also misspelled commissioner as "commisioner."…

Did former White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients die at Guantanamo Bay's Camp Delta in Cuba on December 21, 2022, after being arrested by the U.S. military? No, that's not true. This claim originated from an article published on a satirical website that cited anonymous sources and repeated already debunked false statements. The claim appeared in an article (archived here)…

Did the U.S. military arrest "several Deep Staters" who attended President Joe Biden's state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron on December 1, 2022? No, that's not true: The U.S. military is not allowed to arrest civilians. This claim comes from Real Raw News, a website that regularly produces fabricated headlines and articles. The claim appeared in an article published…

Were Nancy Pelosi and "other Deep Staters" arrested at a President Joe Biden banquet in a faux White House owned by filmmaker Tyler Perry? No, that's not true: No branch of the U.S. military is allowed to arrest civilians, per the Posse Comitatus Act. This claim comes from a website that regularly produces fabricated headlines and classifies themselves as a…

Did the U.S. military arrest U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to charge him with "treason and child endangerment"? No, that's not true: The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 states that the U.S. military does not serve any roles in civilian law enforcement. This arrest claim was also made on a website that publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in…