The long-awaited report from special counsel Robert Mueller on Russian interference in the 2016 US election has been released. The report, which is nearly 400 pages, has been partially redacted.
As with any breaking news situation, rumors, hoaxes, conspiracies, and hyperpartisan spin are already spreading online. We're keeping track.
Hi! We are watching for disinformation, hoaxes, conspiracies and hyperpartisan spin surrounding the Mueller report. See anything? DM me or email jane.lytvynenko@buzzfeed.com For updates from our team, watch @BuzzFeedNews
How to read this post:
UNVERIFIED: Claims that have not been confirmed by an official agency or party with direct knowledge or have no clear evidence backing them up. Treat this kind of information with healthy skepticism and wait to see how it develops.
TRUE: Official sources such as law enforcement agencies or entities involved in the investigation confirmed this information on the record, and/or there’s extensively documented proof of the claim.
UNFOUNDED SPECULATION: This is a claim that has no sources, no evidence, and is based on conjecture with no original reporting behind it. Treat this kind of claim with extreme skepticism.
FALSE: Official sources such as police, law enforcement, or others with direct knowledge have contradicted this information on the record, or it is refuted by unimpeachable evidence.
1. FALSE: Attorney General Bill Barr did not walk offstage when asked a question about him "spinning" the Mueller report.
A story from liberal hyperpartisan site Source Politics has a false headline about Bill Barr's press conference. It claims he walked offstage "when asked why he's spinning Mueller's report." The headline and image give the false impression that Barr left the stage after being asked the question.
In fact, Barr listened to the question, answered it ("No"), and then he and an aide said they would not be taking any more questions. He didn't walk offstage after hearing the question, as the headline and image imply.
2. FALSE: An account pretending to be CNN is already spreading falsehoods about the report.
The account has eight followers and states that it's a parody. It was created this month and is tweeting fake screenshots about the report.
Update: This fake CNN account has been removed.
3. FALSE: A Twitter user posted a joke screenshot of the Mueller report that says it references memes.
He told BuzzFeed News via Twitter DMs that the screenshot is "obviously" a joke, and his profile says, "nothing I post is real."