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Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2021

Did the military arrest former FBI Director James Comey?

Dana Ford, Lead Stories
no

An article making the claim relies on a purported unnamed source and appears on a website that's known for publishing false allegations. 

A spokesperson for the office of the secretary of defense said no such arrest happened, and Lead Stories could find no credible confirmation of the story.

Under federal law, a military arrest of a citizen would be highly unusual, as such actions are prohibited under the Posse Comitatus Act. Some limited exceptions apply, such as Coast Guard arrest of drug smugglers.

Lead Stories reached out to the Pentagon to ask about the alleged arrest. In an email, dated April 26, 2021, a duty officer for the office of the secretary of defense responded: "This is false."

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Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.

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