Yahoo News Fact Check: False Story Claims 'ABC News Whistleblower' Died in Car Crash
Claim:
An "ABC News whistleblower" died in a car crash following the Sept. 10, 2024, U.S. presidential debate.
Rating:
In the days following the Sept. 10, 2024, U.S. presidential debate presented by ABC News, online users shared a rumor claiming a purported "ABC News whistleblower" died in a car crash. The rumor suggested ABC News provided U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris with the moderators' questions prior to the televised event, giving her an unfair advantage against former President Donald Trump.
However, the rumor claiming a whistleblower from the news channel died in a car crash was false. Further, we have yet to uncover any credible evidence of the existence of a "whistleblower" releasing an authentic "report" or "affidavit" regarding such a claim, nor did we locate reliable data suggesting Harris received debate questions in advance.
The Daily Beast reported that an ABC News spokesperson denied the rumor about the network providing Harris with questions. "Absolutely not," the spokesperson said, adding, "Harris was not given any questions before the debate."
Snopes also obtained the following statement from an ABC News spokesperson: "ABC News followed the debate rules that both campaigns agreed on and which clearly state: 'No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.'"
The False Rumor Spread on X
As one example of how this rumor spread online, on Sept. 13, an account on X named Retro Coast (@RetroCoast) posted (archived): "Breaking: The ABC News whistleblower who revealed Kamala Harris was given the debate questions in advance has DIED in an auto accident. The crash happened early on the morning of September 13 outside Bethesda #Maryland." The post had more than 300,000 views.
Other users mentioned the rumor on X, including one Sept. 14 post (archived) that received more than 3.3 million views.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene Shared It
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also posted (archived) on Sept. 15, "The ABC whistleblower who claimed Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of the debate has died in a car crash according to news reports."
Greene did not cite any sources. Instead, she simply shared speculation in a post seen by millions of users.
Hours after Greene's post, she clarified in a second post (archived), "This story appears to be false and I'm glad to hear it. We need a serious investigation into the whistleblower's report that Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of time from ABC!"
Greene's history of sharing either false or unfounded rumors also included promoting the Qanon conspiracy theory, questioning the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, falsely claiming George Floyd died of a drug overdose, spouting 9/11 conspiracy theories and baselessly suggesting the Rothschilds, a Jewish banking family, were part of a conspiracy regarding "lasers or blue beams of light" started the 2018 California wildfires.
The Source of the Rumor
An X "community note" displayed under Greene's initial post said the rumor about the car crash death originated in an article published on a generic blog on Sept. 13. The blog's name showed as Bgrnd Search or Background Searched Articles and was hosted on CountyLocalNews.com — a website having nothing to do with a specific U.S. county or local news.
The website displayed no author names other than "admin" and featured scam advertisements and unfinished template elements at the bottom of every page, including the words "custom footer text left" and "custom footer text right." We emailed the website's owner or owners to ask questions. Soon after, one of the owners removed the story from the website. We did not yet receive any answers to our email.
The appearance of the article suggested its creator possibly used an artificial-intelligence tool to write it. The article began:
So, a bombshell revelation has just hit the news cycle that has sent shockwaves through the political world. An ABC News whistleblower who exposed that Kamala Harris was given debate questions in advance has tragically passed away in a car accident. The incident occurred in the early hours of September 13 outside Bethesda, Maryland.
The news of the whistleblower's death has sparked a flurry of speculation and conspiracy theories online. Many are questioning the circumstances surrounding the accident and whether foul play was involved. Some are even suggesting that the whistleblower may have been targeted because of the information they revealed about Harris.
This tragic turn of events has reignited debates about media ethics and the role of whistleblowers in our society. It serves as a stark reminder of the risks that individuals take when they come forward with sensitive information that could potentially damage powerful figures.
The timing of the whistleblower's death is particularly eerie, coming just days after the initial report about Harris receiving debate questions in advance. The incident has raised eyebrows and led to calls for a thorough investigation into what really happened.
One user on X mentioned the creator of the false rumor possibly based the story on a genuine bus crash occurring in Maryland on Sept. 13 — the same date mentioned in the false article.
The Associated Press' account of the crash said the matter involved a senior living facility's bus and a dump truck, with the bus driver and two bus passengers dying as a result of the incident. The reporting mentioned nothing of ABC News or a "whistleblower." Further, this real crash occurred in the settlement of Nanjemoy, which is not located near Bethesda — the city featured in the dubious website's story.
Sources:
"3 Are Killed When a Senior Living Facility Bus and a Dump Truck Crash in Southern Maryland." The Associated Press, 13 Sept. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/nanjemoy-maryland-senior-living-bus-crash-ba35077d8c0c7ccadddf7bcf4817db42.
Bolies, Corbin. "ABC Slams Trump's Latest Conspiracy Theory About Debate Loss." The Daily Beast, 12 Sept. 2024, https://www.thedailybeast.com/abc-denies-kamala-harris-was-given-questions-before-trump-debate.
Evon, Dan. "Qurious About QAnon? Get the Facts About This Dangerous Conspiracy Theory." Snopes, 21 Aug. 2020, https://www.snopes.com//news/2020/08/21/qanon-2020-election/.
Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Nanjemoy,+Maryland+20662/Bethesda,+Maryland/.
Ibrahim, Nur. "Did Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Say 'Jewish Lasers' Caused CA Wildfires?" Snopes, 1 Feb. 2021, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/greene-jewish-lasers-wildfires/.
Izzo, Jack. "Did George Floyd Actually Die of a Drug Overdose, as Tucker Carlson Claimed?" Snopes, 30 Dec. 2023, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/george-floyd-die-of-overdose/.
MacGuill, Dan. "Did Marjorie Taylor Greene Confront a Parkland Shooting Survivor and Call Him a 'Coward'?" Snopes, 28 Jan. 2021, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/marjorie-taylor-greene-parkland/.
"Nanjemoy." House Buyer of America, https://www.housebuyersofamerica.com/maryland/nanjemoy.
Slodysko, Brian. "A Glance at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Incendiary Words." The Associated Press, 5 Feb. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-technology-las-vegas-mass-shooting-media-social-media-700f28747d856a9bad22a59674a9afe6.
Updates:
Sept. 16, 2024: We updated this report after receiving a statement from ABC News.
