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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Prosecutor in Cohen Probe Not an ‘Obama Holdover’

Prosecutor in Cohen Probe Not an ‘Obama Holdover’

Q: Is Robert S. Khuzami, the deputy U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, an “Obama holdover”?

A: No. Khuzami served under Democratic and Republican administrations, but he left government in 2013. He returned to public service this year when he was hired by the Trump administration.

There Are No “M.A.G.A. Checks”

There Are No “M.A.G.A. Checks”

Q: Can U.S. residents collect “M.A.G.A. Checks”?

A: No. A “M.A.G.A. Check” is the invention of a publisher selling an investment guide that makes promises of easy money.

No Obama Announcement on U.N. Post

No Obama Announcement on U.N. Post

Q: Did former President Barack Obama announce he’s seeking the U.N. secretary general position?

A: No. There was no announcement. Obama’s office has said a story claiming otherwise is false.

Facebook Not Giving Kochs User Data

Facebook Not Giving Kochs User Data

Q: Is Facebook planning to give Charles and David Koch “unprecedented access” to users’ personal information?

A: No. A story making that claim misrepresents a research initiative that is being funded by seven organizations including the Charles Koch Foundation.

Bogus Story on Cohen Raid

Bogus Story on Cohen Raid

Q: Did a federal judge rule that evidence collected from Michael Cohen’s office is inadmissible?
A: No. That claim was invented by a website that labels its content as satire.

No Trump-Ordered ‘Raid’ on Muslim Community

No Trump-Ordered ‘Raid’ on Muslim Community

Q: Did President Trump order a raid on Islamberg, New York, that uncovered weapons?

A: No. A false story from 2017 links the Muslim community to an unrelated arrest of a man on weapons charges.

Another Bogus Parkland Conspiracy Theory

Another Bogus Parkland Conspiracy Theory

Q: Does searching an obituary website prove that there were no shooting deaths at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14?

A: No. A website falsely suggests that there were no deaths because the victims’ obituaries couldn’t be found on one particular site.

Hyped Headline Turns Paint Into Terror

Hyped Headline Turns Paint Into Terror

Q: Was the first family attacked by a terrorist during the Easter holiday weekend?

A: No. That’s a misrepresentation of an act of vandalism at Trump International Golf Club.

Gun Control March Not Planned ‘Months’ Ago

Gun Control March Not Planned ‘Months’ Ago

Q: Was a permit application for the March for Our Lives rally filed “several months” before the event on March 24?

A: No. A Washington, D.C., police officer erroneously used that language in an email exchange. Officials say the permits were requested in late February. 

David Hogg at School During Parkland Shooting

David Hogg at School During Parkland Shooting

Q: Was David Hogg at home during the February school shooting in Florida?

A: No. Hogg recorded videos from inside the school during the shooting and a teacher confirmed that he was there at the time.