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| - FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Falsely Claims Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Was Killed
A screenshot of an article shared on Facebook claims Dr. David Morens, a former adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, was purportedly killed at the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) ‘s Pensacola headquarters.
Verdict: False
The claim originally stems from a May 30 article published by the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for Navy JAG denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Fauci will testify about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic at a June 3 hearing before House Republicans, according to ABC News. Fauci’s testimony follows the allegation that his adviser, Morens, suggested Fauci’s private Gmail account “could be utilized to evade” Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to COVID-19, the outlet reported.
“Former Fauci Advisor David Morens Killed in Murder-Suicide in Pensacola,” the screenshot of the article shared via the Facebook post purports.
The claim is false and originally stems from a May 30 article published by the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “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 [of] legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.
According to the May 30 article, a vigilante who had purportedly been with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) allegedly shot and killed Morens before turning the gun on himself. The same article claims JAG investigators had supposedly arrested Morens and he was going to face a military tribunal ahead of his purported death. The vigilante who allegedly committed the crime “had a history of being reprimanded for unorthodox interrogation tactics and excessive use of force” during his six years with the NCIS.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On May 22, Morens testified at a House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee hearing on the origins of COVID-19. Multiple right-of-center media outlets, including the New York Post, Fox News, the Washington Times, covered Morens’ testimony at the hearing. (RELATED: Are UN Troops Going To Be Deployed Across The US Amid Potential’ Civil Unrest?’)
In addition, the claim is neither referenced on Navy JAG’s website nor its verified social media accounts.
Patricia Babb, a spokesperson for Navy JAG denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This is not true,” Babb said of the claim.
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