A post shared on Facebook claims National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli was purportedly hanged by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps at Guantanamo Bay.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from an Oct. 1 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” Spokespersons for both the NIH and Navy JAG denied the claim’s validity in respective emails to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Bertagnolli became the 17th director of the NIH in November 2023, according to a press release from the institute. Bertagnolli is “only the second woman to lead the biomedical research agency on a permanent basis,” The New York Times reported.

The Facebook post claims Bertagnolli was purportedly hanged by Navy JAG at Guantanamo Bay. According to the same post, Bertagnolli was allegedly convicted of treason and sentenced to death as a result. The post further claims Bertagnolli’s alleged execution was originally scheduled for September 25 but was delayed due to Hurricane Helene.

The claim is false and originally stems from an Oct. 1 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.

The October 1 article is a follow-up to two previous pieces published by the satire site. The first claimed Bertagnolli had purportedly been arrested by Navy JAG investigators after she “sought to usher in a second Plandemic ahead of Election Day 2024, this time using COVID-19 and Monkey Pox as an excuse to enforce mail-in voting.” Likewise, the second claimed Bertagnolli had purportedly been convicted of treason following a military tribunal. Check Your Fact debunked both claims. (RELATED: Was John Fetterman Arrested After Punching A Starbucks Barista?)

In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim that Bertagnolli had allegedly been hanged. The NIH has not issued a press release or social media statement about the claim, and the claim is also not referenced on Navy JAG’s website or its verified social media accounts.

Furthermore, spokespersons for both the NIH and Navy JAG denied the claim’s validity in respective emails to Check Your Fact.

“This is not true,” Navy JAG spokesperson Patricia Babb said.

“It’s false,” NIH spokesperson Renate Myles added.