Following the recent death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a story circulated on social media suggesting a connection to the Clintons. The claim stated that Graham passed away days after leading a committee that defunded the Clinton Foundation. This has prompted scrutiny and a fact-check of the viral rumor.
The narrative gaining traction alleged that Graham’s death occurred just four days after he chaired a committee that had investigated the Clinton Foundation’s finances. Furthermore, the circulating posts suggested that South Carolina authorities were considering foul play, that the coroner’s findings hinted at homicide, and that toxicology reports were pending to ascertain the cause of death. These posts also invoked a long-standing theory about individuals associated with the Clintons meeting suspicious ends when situations become inconvenient for them. The theory gained traction on platforms like Facebook and X, fueling speculation about the Clintons’ alleged involvement in Graham’s death, necessitating an investigation into the veracity of these claims.
However, a review of available information reveals no credible reports substantiating that Graham chaired a committee which defunded the Clinton Foundation. There is also no evidence of any committee being established to probe the foundation’s finances with the outcome of it being defunded. Extensive searches using terms like “Lindsey Graham Clinton Foundation” or “Graham defunded Clinton Foundation” failed to yield any reputable news reports to support these assertions.
The claims regarding the coroner’s findings and the consideration of homicide are also unsubstantiated. Crucially, the origin of this claim has been traced back to a parody account on Facebook known as ‘America’s Last Line Of Defense,’ which explicitly states in its description that “Nothing on this page is real.” Therefore, the claim was intended as satire for engagement purposes.
Lindsey Graham first gained national prominence during his tenure in the House of Representatives when he served as one of the impeachment managers in President Clinton’s impeachment trial. During that process, Graham emphasized the core question of whether Clinton had committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” detrimental to society. He voted to convict President Clinton, though the Senate ultimately acquitted the then-president.
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