Fact Check: Adam Schiff Was NOT Convicted of Treason

Fact Check

  • by: Dana Ford
Fact Check: Adam Schiff Was NOT Convicted of Treason No Conviction

Was Adam Schiff convicted of treason? No, that's not true: There's no evidence the Democratic congressman from California was convicted. The claim was published by a website known for publishing false allegations and that previously reported that Schiff had been arrested. A spokesperson for the congressman told Lead Stories the claim wasn't true, and Schiff has done interviews and been active on social media since his supposed arrest.

The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by Real Raw News on July 4, 2021. Titled "Adam Schiff Convicted of Treason," it opens:

On Thursday, July 1, a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay convicted Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff on charges of treason and espionage after hearing evidence that linked the weaselly worm to a Chinese-sponsored plot aimed at impeaching the most patriotic president to have ever sat in the Oval Office.

Users on social media saw this title, description and thumbnail:

Adam Schiff Convicted of Treason - Real Raw News

On Thursday, July 1, a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay convicted Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff on charges of treason and espionage after hearing evidence that linked the weaselly worm to a Chinese-sponsored plot aimed at impeaching the most patriotic president to have ever sat in the Oval Office. In July 2019, [...]

Real Raw News previously reported that Schiff had been arrested. He wasn't. A spokesperson for Schiff told Lead Stories via email on May 28, 2021:

This story is completely false and without basis in reality.

Since his supposed arrest, Schiff has given interviews and been active on social media, as can be seen here and here.

Real Raw News has a long history of publishing false claims, many of which revolve around supposed convictions and executions at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. For example, it reported that Hillary Clinton was hanged (she wasn't); it said that former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta was executed (he wasn't); and it reported that the military convicted former Attorney General William Barr on charges of treason (it didn't).

The website for Real Raw News includes a disclaimer that warns readers not to take its content too seriously. Specifically, it says:

Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel.

Lead Stories has covered claims published by Real Raw News in the past. See here for all our previous debunks.

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  Dana Ford

Dana Ford is an Atlanta-based reporter and editor. She previously worked as a senior editor at Atlanta Magazine Custom Media and as a writer/ editor for CNN Digital. Ford has more than a decade of news experience, including several years spent working in Latin America.

Read more about or contact Dana Ford

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