Posse Comitatus

Did the U.S. Navy hang Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel at Guantanamo Bay? No, that's not true: This claim comes from a website that identifies itself as a satirical source and regularly publishes fake news. No serious news sites have carried such a story. And U.S. federal law prohibits the military from enforcing the law against civilians. The claim appeared in…

Did U.S. Special Forces arrest Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel to charge him "on many counts of murder" for deaths caused by Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: This claim is made on a website that publishes false claims and identifies itself as a satirical website. No official news sources support this claim. U.S. Special Forces also do not have…

Did the U.S. military hang U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink for committing treason? No, that's not true: The story is entirely fabricated and Brink remains an ambassador in good standing. The claim originated on the website Real Raw News on October 17, 2022 under the title "Military Hangs to Death US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink" (archived here). It…

Did the military arrest the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink? No, that's not true: Real Raw News, the website that posted the story, has a disclaimer saying that their articles are "humor, parody and satire." The site has a history of posting false stories of arrests and executions of government officials, celebrities and well-known public figures. Also, the Posse…

Was actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings" movies, arrested for child sex crimes? No, that's not true: Contrary to the claim that Wood was arrested by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, the Posse Comitatus Act forbids the military from enforcing civilian law. The claim was posted on a satirical website that…

Did the U.S. military convict and execute Brian Stelter, a former CNN host, on September 20, 2022? No, that's not true: These claims were posted on a satirical website. Lead Stories had already debunked the site's prior claim that Stelter was arrested by the U.S. military on August 30, 2022, which renders this claim even more impossible. Further, the Posse…

Did the U.S. military arrest Brian Stelter, a former CNN host, on August 27, 2022? No, that's not true: "This story is completely false," a duty officer at the Pentagon told Lead Stories. The Posse Comitatus Act forbids the U.S. military from arresting citizens. In addition, these claims were posted on a satirical website. The claim appeared in an article…

Did "U.S. Army Special Forces" arrest Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on August 6, 2022? No, that's not true: "There is no truth to this claim," a duty officer at the Pentagon told Lead Stories. The U.S. military is not allowed to arrest civilians under the Posse Comitatus Act. In addition, these claims were posted on…

Did the U.S. military arrest Avril Haines, the director of National Intelligence, on August 2, 2022? No, that's not true: A duty officer at the Pentagon told Lead Stories that this claim was "false." The claim is not corrobrated by contemporaneous reports from reputable media outlets that Haines has been arrested. The U.S. military is not allowed to arrest civilians…

Are Obamacare and medical coding part of a coordinated global system of human and child trafficking? No, that's not true: Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010 with the goals of making affordable health insurance available to more people, expanding the Medicaid program and lowering the costs…