A report circulating on social media allegedly has a list of family ties of prominent Democrats to claim that the “media is uncomfortable” or in collaboration with political Democrats. Among those counting are the Government of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, the Government of California, Gavin Newsom, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff.
The list is a variety of fabricated or inaccurate family ties with some relationships that were previously authentic during the Obama administration. Some parts of this claim have been in circulation since at least 2014.
Recent posts visible here, here and here
Some iterations of the long posts contain a text that reads: ‘This is what you call a’ Stacked deck ‘. If you had a feeling, the media was somewhat deceptive and you could not put your finger on it, it can help you solve the puzzle. “
According to CrowdTangle, a tool for discovering and monitoring social media, a similar version of this claim, which is not Mr. Whitmer is not mentioned, since at least October 25, 2019 in circulation. (here, here).
The version with the claim about Whitmer has been circulating here since at least April 29, 2020. Other fact checkers have made similar iterations of this list here and here.
WITTER AND SOROS – FALSE
Recent posts include the allegation that the Whitmer government “used to work for George Soros”. This allegation was reinforced earlier this year by conservative voice Chuck Woolery on Twitter archive.vn/O7FtY. Chelsea Lewis, Whitmer’s deputy press secretary, told Reuters in an email that the claim was “completely false information”.
As explained by Michigan State University’s Whitmer’s alma mater, she worked for her law firm Dickinson Wright for two years (here) in 1998 before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2000. More about Whitmer’s career is visible here (bit .ly / 3oCWZ8A).
Reuters had earlier denied allegations that Whitmer was the nephew of George Soros
NEWS AND PELOSI – FALSE
Reports with this claim claim that the Government of California Gavin Newsom is the cousin of Nancy Pelosi. This is false, even though they were related by a marriage decades ago.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle (bit.ly/2VUZO8M), Belinda Barbara Newsom, the aunt of Gavin Newsom, was married to Ron Pelosi, brother-in-law Nancy Pelosi. The couple divorced in 1977 (here).
ADAM SCHIFF’S SISTER AND SOROS SON – FALSE
Reports also falsely claim that the sister of Adam Schiff, US representative for the 28th Congress District of California, is’ married to George Soros’ son ‘. Schiff does not have a sister. Adam Schiff is the son of Edward and Sherrill Anne Schiff, and brother of Daniel M. Schiff (legcy.co/36M5hCX).
The confusion may arise from the marriage of one of Soros’ sons. As reported here by Forbes, the billionaire and philanthropist has five children. One of them, Robert Soros, married a woman, Melissa Robin Schiff, here in 1992, according to a New York Times wedding announcement. However, Melissa Schiff, daughter of Marlene S. Schiff and Hazkel Schiff, is not the sister. of the Democratic Congressman.
In 2018, the congressman told FactCheck.org here that he has no known relationship with Melissa.
JOHN KERRY’S DAUGHTER MARRIED TO IRANSE MULLAH SON – FALSE
The posts also claim that John Kerry’s daughter is ‘married to a son of Mullah in Iran’. This is false.
This allegation resembles a five-year defaced claim aimed at discussing then-Foreign Minister Kerry with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was negotiating the nuclear deal with Kerry at the time.
Vanessa Kerry, one of two daughters of the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate (here, here) married in 2009 (here) Brian Vala Nahed. According to his professional profile on the Massachusetts General Hospital website, Nahed was born in New York.
As reported by the Boston Globe here, in 2015, Nahed and Kerry became targets of misinformation. The rumor was then that the best man at Vanessa and Brian’s wedding was the son of Javad Zarif. Vanessa turned down the claim on Twitter here and also dismissed here by the Iranian government.
In their 2009 marriage announcement here, the New York Times reported that Vala Nahed was the chief of staff’s son at a hospital in Mission Hills, California, and that his mother ran a private practice that was also run by Nahed’s father. The Boston Globe also reported here that Nahed’s parents left Iran in 1975.
MEDIA AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION – MOST TRUE
Virtually the same allegation that staff from CBS, ABC News and CNN have been linked to the Obama administration has been circulating since at least 2014, according to the earliest repeat Reuters could find on public groups and Facebook pages (here).
Snopes investigated the claim here in 2016, when the list was ‘widely circulated via social media and email’. At that time, some of the roles were already obsolete.
RICE AND CAMERON
The claim states that Susan Rice, who was National Security Adviser to the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017, was married to Ian Cameron (here), who is referred to in the claim as “ABC News Executive Producer.” Cameron did take on this role on ABC’s “This Week” twitter.com/thisweekabc ), but he retired in 2010, (here).
Reuters could not confirm whether Cameron is still working in the media.
JAFFE AND HOGAN
It also mentions the marriage of Matthew Jaffe, ‘ABC News and Univision reporter’, and Katie Hogan, ‘Obama’s former deputy press secretary’. This assertion is largely true.
Jaffe did take on the roles mentioned in this claim at one point during the Obama administration. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a correspondent at Univision from 2011-2012 and reporter and producer of ABC News from 2006 to 2014. In 2014, Jaffe became director of communications at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago.
Hogan’s role description is largely true. She has held several press-related roles in Obama’s presidential campaigns and first administration (here), including deputy press secretary during his second presidential campaign. According to her LinkedIn profile, she became executive director of Organizing for Action (OFA) in 2013, a nonprofit group founded by members of Obama’s former campaign team.
SHIPMAN AND CARNEY
It also mentions the marriage of Claire Shipman, ABC news correspondent, and former White House Secretary Jay Carney. This assertion is largely true.
Some iterations of the report correctly refer to Carney as “former press secretary of the Obama White House”. Carney left his role at the Obama administration in 2014, as reported by Reuters here. Carney is currently Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs at Amazon ( twitter.com/jaycarney ).
According to her HarperCollins profile, Shipman was “a regular contributor to Good Morning America and other national broadcasts for ABC News”, before referring to the writing (here).
BEN AND ELIZABETH SHERWOOD
Ben Sherwood, ‘ABC president’, refers to the claims as brother of Elizabeth Sherwood, ‘Obama’s special adviser’. While their roles were not accurately described at the time, the two did hold positions in the ABC and Obama administration, respectively.
Ben Sherwood was named president of ABC in 2010 (here).
In 2014, Sherwood was promoted to co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney / ABC Television Group (here). According to his LinkedIn profile, he left the company in 2019. As reported by Variety here, the decision was made after acquiring the 21st Century Fox.
Elizabeth Sherwood has held various roles during both Obama administrations as seen here, including Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of European Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC) from 2009 to 2013.
MOSELEY AND NIDES
The posts refer to Virginia Moseley, ‘CNN president’, as the wife of Tom Nides, ‘former deputy secretary of Hillary Clinton’. Moseley’s role is not accurately described, but she did work at CNN.
Moseley joined CNN in 2012 as vice president and deputy bureau chief at the network’s Washington office (here) and in 2018 (here) became senior vice president of the network’s US operations news collection, a role she play in the publication of this check. (here)
Tom Nides, from 2011 to 2013, was Deputy Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As reported by Reuters here, he rejoined US investment bank Morgan Stanley in 2013.
VERDICT
Partly false. This list contains fabricated family ties and some relationships that were once authentic during the Obama administration.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to actually check social media posts.