FACT CHECK: Did JAG Arrest Matthew Colangelo For Treason?

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A screenshot of a headline shared on Facebook claims U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps investigators purportedly arrested Matthew Colangelo, senior counsel to New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, for treason.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and stems from a July 7 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.”

Fact Check:

Colangelo was appointed as senior counsel to Bragg in December 2022, according to a press release from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Colangelo previously served as a senior official at the U.S. Department of Justice, the same release indicates.

The Facebook image claims JAG investigators purportedly arrested Colangelo for treason. “JAG Catches Another Alvin Bragg Staffer,” the screenshot of the headline reads.

The claim is false and stems from a July 7 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 July 7 article, JAG investigators visited Colangelo’s residence on July 2, but did not find him there. A magnetic calendar on the refrigerator indicated he was vacationing in St. Croix, where the investigators later arrested him and his wife for “treason, seditious conspiracy, and election interference,” according to the same article. Colangelo and his wife are purportedly being held in pretrial detainment at Guantanamo Bay, the article further claims.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. In addition, the claim is neither referenced on Navy JAG’s website nor its verified social media accounts. Bragg’s office also has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Did AOC Receive $142,000 In Student Loan Forgiveness?)
Check Your Fact has contacted a Navy JAG spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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