Does a New York Post headline claim that James Gordon Meek, a former investigative journalist for ABC who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in September 2023, also "debunked" the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory? No, that's not true: Such a headline never appeared in the New York Post. Additionally, there's no evidence that Meek ever wrote a story about Pizzagate.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram by everyoneisowned_5 on November 30, 2023. The fabricated screenshot of a nonexistent New York Post headline says:
AWARD WINNING ABC JOURNALIST WHO 'DEBUNKED' PIZZAGATE, PLEADS GUILTY IN HORRIFIC CHILD PORN CASE.
This is what the post looked like on Instagram at the time of writing:
(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Fri Dec 1 15:15:04 2023 UTC)
Fake headline
No story with the headline "AWARD WINNING ABC JOURNALIST WHO 'DEBUNKED' PIZZAGATE, PLEADS GUILTY IN HORRIFIC CHILD PORN CASE." appears on the New York Post website (archived here). Additionally, a Google News search (archived here) shows no evidence that Meek debunked the conspiracy theory.
Meek was sentenced to 72 months in prison for transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material on September 29, 2023, a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the eastern district of Virginia said.
Pizzagate
Pizzagate refers to a conspiracy theory that emerged during the 2016 United States presidential election. The theory falsely claimed that a child sex-trafficking ring involving high-profile individuals, including members of the Democratic Party, was operating out of the basement of a pizzeria called Comet Ping Pong in Washington, D.C.
The conspiracy theory gained traction on social media and several internet forums. In December 2016, a man walked into Comet Ping Pong with a firearm, firing shots inside the restaurant. No one was injured and the gunman was apprehended.
No credible evidence has since emerged that supports the conspiracy theory's claim of the existence of a child sex-trafficking ring at the pizza parlor or the involvement of any political figures in such a ring.
Read more
Other Lead Stories debunks of claims about Pizzagate can be read here.
