Fact check: Hillary Clinton has not been indicted, despite viral post to the contrary

Isabella Fertel, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
436

The claim: Hillary Clinton has been indicted

An April 7 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) features footage of Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Jim Jordan on various Fox News programs.

"Hillary Clinton INDICTED as Rand Paul REVEALS Shocking Evidence EXPOSING Her," reads the the post's caption.

The post garnered more than 6,000 shares in less than a week.

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Our rating: False

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has not been indicted. The post presents no evidence of this claim, instead asserting it in text alongside unrelated video footage from 2016. It's a misinformation technique known as "false framing."

Clinton not indicted, footage years old

There are no credible news reports about Clinton being indicted, nor any announcements to this effect from any prosecutors.

The video in the post shows an appearance Paul, a Kentucky Republican, made on Fox News in August 2016. In the clip, Paul says of Clinton, "I think an indictment would be a good idea, followed by a prison sentence."

Paul's statement appears to be a reference to the FBI's 2016 investigation into allegations that Clinton and her staff mishandled classified information during her tenure as Sectary of State.

A month before Paul's appearance, the FBI recommended against filing charges against Clinton, who at the time was the Democratic presidential nominee. The Department of Justice then officially closed its investigation.

More: Loretta Lynch makes it official: No charges in Hillary Clinton email probe

The video also includes a clip of Jordan, an Ohio Republican, on Fox News in September 2016. In the clip, he expresses his disagreement with the FBI's decision not to further investigate or charge Clinton.

Fact check: False claim that Hillary Clinton was fired during Watergate resurfaces online

This format of misinformation, in which an authentic source of information is miscaptioned, is called "false framing," Mike Caulfield, a misinformation researcher at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, previously told USA TODAY. This method assumes readers will not read or watch the piece of content and exploits the audience’s trust in the presented source.

Clinton is a frequent target of misinformation online. USA TODAY has previously debunked claims that she was arrested by Navy SEALs under the direction of former President Donald Trump, that she was fired during Watergate and that she was hanged at Guantanamo Bay.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment.

PolitiFact also debunked this claim.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, Hillary Clinton has not been indicted

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