A post shared on Facebook claims the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps purportedly sentenced Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to death.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and stems from a May 20 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Navy JAG Corps denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Bellows recently discussed the impact of the digital age on elections at a United Nations Association of Maine meeting, according to WGME. During the same meeting, Bellows highlighted the importance of looking out for content that is fake or has been generated with artificial intelligence, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims the U.S. Navy JAG Corps purportedly sentenced Bellows to death for “intentionally misconstruing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to stop President Trump’s name from appearing on the state’s primary ballot [in December 2023].” The post further claims JAG investigators allegedly “apprehended” Bellows near her home in Maine in April 2024.

The claim is false and stems from a May 20 article published on 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 same article, Bellows’ purported execution was set for May 23. (RELATED: Did Joe Biden Drop Out Of Presidential Debates?)

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. USA Today reported the claim is false on May 24. Additionally, the claim is neither referenced on the website for the Maine Secretary of State nor her associated social media accounts.

Furthermore, Patricia Babb, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy JAG Corps denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“This is not true,” Babb said of the claim.

According to Congress’ website, Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection from holding government office at multiple levels, including president.