FACT CHECK: Did Amy Coney Barrett Say Women Should Not Own Property ‘Without The Permission Of Her Husband Or A Male Relative’?

Varun Hukeri | General Assignment & Analysis Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims Judge Amy Coney Barrett said a “woman should not be able to own property buy or sell (sic) without the permission of her husband or a male relative.”

Verdict: False

Check Your Fact found no evidence Barrett made the statement.

Fact Check: 

President Donald Trump on Sept. 26 formally announced that he would nominate Barrett to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett has served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit since 2017 and was previously a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School.

There is no record of Barrett making the statement attributed to her in the post. Check Your Fact didn’t find any credible media outlets quoting her as saying the comment. A search of Barrett’s judicial opinions and articles turned up no matches for the statement.

Barrett faced close scrutiny during her confirmation to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017, and if she had ever made the remark, it likely would have surfaced then, further adding to the claim’s dubiousness. (RELATED: Viral Image Claims There Have Been 29 Supreme Court Vacancies ‘Within 3 Months Of A Presidential Election’)

The claim may have stemmed from Barrett, a devout Catholic, reportedly having ties to the People of Praise, a religious organization that describes itself as a “charismatic Christian community.” Former members of the group told The Associated Press the groups teaches that wives must submit to the will of their husbands.

This isn’t the first time social media users have shared fabricated statements attributed to Barrett. Check Your Fact debunked a post that claimed Barrett advocated for discrimination against gay people. Another post debunked by Check Your Fact claimed Barrett called white people “God’s chosen ones.”

Varun Hukeri

General Assignment & Analysis Reporter
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