Susan Rice’s Housekeeper Found Dead After FBI Interview-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s housekeeper was found dead in September 2017 after the FBI interviewed her about overheard conversations between Rice and Hillary Clinton and other members of the Obama administration.
The Truth:
A self-described fake news website is behind false reports that Susan Rice’s housekeeper was found dead in a lake after being interviewed by the FBI in September 2017.
The rumor came from Last Line of Defense, a website that describes itself as “a satirical publication that may sometimes appear to be telling the truth.” The false report appeared under the headline, “Susan Rice’s Housekeeper Found Dead In A Lake After FBI Interview.” The story, which cites a nonexistent Fox News report stating that the FBI interviewed Rice’s housekeeper, continues:
FBI agents were seen approaching the home of Maria de la Juerta Gomez on Monday, where they stayed for a good two or more hours. According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Gomez was able to provide “plenty of information” to aid in the investigation into Rice’s abuse of her power in the Obama administration to “unmask” of people associated with Donald Trump in an effort to swing the election in favor of a certain “crooked” opponent of his.
On Tuesday evening, Gomez’s lifeless body was found floating in Lake Hope, just outside of her hometown of Ithica, Connecticut. Police officers took some time to identify the body because her finger tips had been severed and no family was immediately able to identify her, but her identity was determined via dental records from Dr. Michael Armstrong, DDS.
Like most fake news stories, this one is based in some truth. Susan Rice testified before the House Intelligence Committee in September 2017 about her request to “unmask” members of President Trump’s inner circle in her role as national security advisor. Rice reportedly testified in a private hearing that she made the request after United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan met with Trump officials, including Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Jared Kushner shortly before Trump was sworn into office, CNN reports:
The Obama administration felt misled by the United Arab Emirates, which had failed to mention that Zayed was coming to the United States even though it’s customary for foreign dignitaries to notify the US government about their travels, according to several sources familiar with the matter. Rice, who served as then-President Obama’s national security adviser in his second term, told the House Intelligence Committee last week that she requested the names of the Americans mentioned in the classified report be revealed internally, a practice officials in both parties say is common.
The Last Line of Defense story used the actual breaking news about Susan Rice’s testimony to advance the fake story that the FBI had interviewed Rice’s housekeeper regarding the matter, and that the housekeeper was later found dead. The website is known for publishing false death reports about political figures, and this is just the latest one.