FACT CHECK: Did The US Military Arrest A Nikki Haley Campaign Staffer In Iowa?
A post shared on Facebook claims U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents purportedly arrested a staffer serving on former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign in Iowa on Sunday night.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and stems from a Jan. 15 article published on the satirical website, “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for the Haley campaign denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
ABC News canceled the Republican debate set for Jan. 18 after Haley said she would only participate if former President Donald Trump also did, according to The Associated Press. The cancellation follows the recent Iowa caucuses in which Trump claimed victory over both Haley and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims U.S. Army CID agents purportedly arrested a Haley campaign staffer in Iowa on Sunday night. The post further claims undercover CID agents were deployed to Iowa to monitor the Monday caucuses for “signs of election fraud.” One agent supposedly encountered the campaign staffer, who allegedly gave the agent a pamphlet about Haley containing a $1,000 prepaid Visa gift card.
The claim is false and stems from a Jan. 15 article published on the satirical website, “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 on legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads. (RELATED: Has Nikki Haley Been Disqualified For The Presidency?)
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports supporting the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. Articles from Snopes and Lead Stories also labeling the claim as false appear in the keyword search.
Additionally, the claim is neither repeated on the Army CID’s website nor on its social media accounts. Haley also has not publicly commented on the purported claim.
AnnMarie Graham-Barnes, a spokesperson for the Haley campaign, denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This is false. No member of the campaign was arrested and no member was distributing gift cards of any form,” Graham-Barnes said.
Check Your Fact also contacted the Army CID, who declined to comment.