Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to former President Bill Clinton and to President Donald Trump have provided the basis for unfounded conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.
The Epstein Connections Fueling Conspiracy Theories
Person: Bill Clinton
Misinformation Flows Following Epstein’s Death
Unfounded claims and baseless conspiracy theories have run rampant in the aftermath of the Aug. 10 death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Here we recap some of the stories that we have written so far on the Epstein case.
Blackface Photo Doesn’t Show Clintons
A photo of two people, one of whom is in blackface, has been circulating online for years with the unfounded claim that it shows Bill and Hillary Clinton. A Twitter user said he posted the photo in 2015, even though he had no evidence it was the Clintons, to “stir interest.”
Facts on Trade
Here we highlight a number of key statistics about trade, and summarize some of the stories we have written when these facts have been misrepresented.
False Story Ties Clintons to Doctor’s Death
Q: Did the late surgeon Dean Lorich expose “Clinton Foundation corruption in Haiti”?
A: No. Lorich co-authored an article criticizing the medical response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, not the Clinton Foundation.
No Seizure of Clinton Foundation Cash
Q: Did British agents seize $400 million from the Clinton Foundation?
A: No. That claim was made up by a satirical website.
Schumer Didn’t Resign, Sessions Wasn’t Fired
Q: Did Sen. Chuck Schumer resign? Was Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired? Are the Clintons divorcing? Is Monica Lewinsky dead?
A: No. Each claim was made by the same website that writes “fiction as fact.”
Clinton Foundation Not Shutting Down
Q: Was the Clinton Foundation ordered to cease operations and Chelsea Clinton charged with fraud?
A: No. Those baseless claims were made up by a self-described “satirical” website.
Trump Pulls Quotes on ACA Out of Context
In support of his argument that the Affordable Care Act “doesn’t work,” President-elect Donald Trump quoted Bill Clinton as saying the law is “crazy” and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton as saying that it “is no longer affordable.” Both comments are lifted out of context.
Pence’s Unsupported Haiti Claim
Mike Pence has repeatedly claimed that ABC News learned through a freedom of information request that the State Department under Hillary Clinton “directed contracts for the Haitian recovery effort … to friends of the Clintons.” But that’s not what ABC News reported.