Insta
Dossier On Trump: Was It An Alt-Right Prank That A Desperate Mainstream Media Fell For?
Swarajya Staff
Jan 12, 2017, 11:50 AM | Updated 11:50 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
In its report alleging that the Russian government has potentially compromising information on US President-elect Donald Trump, BuzzFeed News published an unverified “intelligence dossier”, supporting its claim, saying that it was making rounds in the journalistic circles and was prepared by a former British intelligence official. The news website said that it is publishing the full document “so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations.”
The dossier, other than claiming that the President-elect has close ties with Russia and the country helped him win the election by hacking his opponents, made wild claims about his sexual misconduct and travels. It was subsequently used by different sections of the media and used to frame charges against Trump.
Now, in a sudden turn of events, a group of hackers which calls itself 4Chan has claimed that some information which appears on the dossier is “fan-fiction” actually written by them. According to one member of the hacker collective, various claims that appear in the document were sent to Republican media strategist Rick Wilson, who in turn shared it with the intelligence community as fact. Intelligence agencies based their report presented to Trump and Barack Obama on this dossier.
4chan trolled Rick Wilson with the Trump piss story back in November 2016. Media or CIA added Russian spies themselves. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. pic.twitter.com/BFJDvzcgbf
— Mr Bones (@mrbones_returns) January 11, 2017
This helpful chart by Zero Hedge explains exactly how 4Chan could have done this:
The “intelligence dossier” identified wrong “Michael Cohen” as having gone to Prague. Given that the 35-page dossier has various omissions, factual inaccuracies and spelling mistakes, it is not hard to believe that it could well be fake. This is what WikiLeaks said:
35 page PDF published by Buzzfeed on Trump is not an intelligence report. Style, facts & dates show no credibility.https://t.co/twa8pJMMtP
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 11, 2017
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.