Fake conspiracy theory claiming George Soros arrested for election interference spread by far-right
Trump campaign claims Mr Soros as well as Hugo Chavez and the Chinese are involved in a plot to subvert the election
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Your support makes all the difference.Contrary to right-wing conspiracy theories, Billionaire philanthropist George Soros was not arrested on Monday.
A right-wing website falsely reported that Mr Soros - long a boogeyman in conservative and anti semitic conspiracy theories - was arrested in Philadelphia for election interference.
The website included a photoshopped indictment as well as a claim that a judge had ordered a "publication ban," preventing US-based media from reporting on the ruling.
That is fictional; judges cannot stop reporters from reporting on a case, they can only order that individuals involved with the case refrain from speaking to the media.
The photoshopped indictment includes charges for conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, computer damages, aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting.
The story claims that Mr Soros is being investigated by the FBI, which is also false.
The fake indictment was forged using a real indictment from 15 October that involved six Russian men accused of spreading malware for use in fraudulent activities.
Mr Soros was recently featured in a documentary in which he addressed his portrayal as a supervillain for a certain segment of delusional reactionaries.
“The fact that I have become involved in so many different issues, and have taken controversial positions, is now actually working against me,” he said. “I'm happy that I irritate some people,”
The allegations that Mr Soros is involved in election interference is not coming from fringe elements of the right; Donald Trump's own legal team accused the billionaire of being involved in a conspiracy to influence the election.
According to Mr Trump's team, Mr Soros - along with the Chinese, Dominion Voting Systems, several Democratic and Republican state and local governments, and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013 - is working to ensure Joe Biden takes the White House.
The Trump legal team's arguments have been rejected in every court they have been brought before, and its lawyers have provided no substantial evidence to support their claims.
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