New ‘Evidence’ for Haitian Pet-Eating Claim Doesn’t Pan Out
Plus: No, Ukrainian Official’s Son Did Not Purchase a “Game of Thrones” Prop for $1.5 Million; Trump Is Falsely Linked to JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory
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Today:
Still not true: A conviction in Ohio for pet abuse doesn’t prove Haitian migrants kill and eat pets
Russians fake a local U.S. TV news report to claim a Ukrainian bought “Game of Thrones” prop for $1.5 million
Ads for Red Bull, Sling, and The Wall Street Journal fund false claim that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to children
No, Trump did not call for the arrest of a “CIA operative” for JFK assassination
And More …
Today’s newsletter was edited by Eric Effron and Sofia Rubinson.
1. Sentencing of Ohio Woman Not Proof of Haitian Migrants Eating Springfield’s Cats
By Sarah Komar
What happened: Some conservatives continue to push the false claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are killing and eating pets, now citing as evidence a Dec. 2, 2024, sentencing of a non-Haitian Ohio woman who pled guilty to charges relating to killing and eating a pet cat.
Context: In September 2024, conservatives, including President-elect Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance, spread the false claim that Springfield’s Haitian migrants were stealing and eating pet cats and dogs. As first reported in Reality Check, the claim originated in a local Facebook group by a woman who had no direct knowledge of any pet-eating occurrences and, when contacted by NewsGuard, warned that she had no first- or even second-hand knowledge supporting the claim. Local authorities denied the claim and no evidence has emerged to back it.
A closer look: The claim amassed millions of views anew in December 2024 after a non-Haitian woman in another part of Ohio pled guilty to animal cruelty.
Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones shared an X post about the woman’s sentencing on Dec. 2, alongside a Trump quote from the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate: “‘They are eating the cats and dogs.’ Donald Trump Oct, 2024.” The post received 1.8 million views and 41,000 likes in two days.
Conservative X account @BUbblebathgirl reposted a video about the sentencing, adding the caption, “Trump is vindicated, again.” The post garnered 316,000 views and 15,000 likes in three days. The post was not issued a community note by Dec. 8.
Actually: It is true that an Ohio woman, Allexis Ferrell, was sentenced for animal cruelty. However, she is not a Haitian migrant, nor is she from Springfield.
The Canton Repository (NewsGuard Trust Score: 100/100) reported in September 2024 that Ferrell is a resident of Canton, Ohio — 170 miles from Springfield — who “has no known connection to Haiti or any other foreign country.”
In an Aug. 16, 2024, incident, Ferrell was arrested and accused of killing and eating a domestic cat in her driveway. On Dec. 2, a Stark County, Ohio, judge sentenced her to one year in prison after she pled guilty to cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony. The judge also ordered Ferrell to serve an additional 18 months on a previous child endangerment charge.
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2. Russians Doctor Local Texas News Report to Falsely Claim Former Ukrainian Official’s Son Purchased a “Game of Thrones” Prop for $1.5 Million
By Eva Maitland
Last week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky supposedly purchased a French ski resort. This week, his former foreign minister’s son supposedly bought the iconic “Game of Thrones” Iron Throne. Neither claim is true.
What happened: In the latest installment of Russian claims of fanciful purchases by top Ukrainians, pro-Kremlin sources posted an altered local San Antonio, Texas, news broadcast to claim that the son of former Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba bought the Iron Throne from the hit TV series “Game of Thrones” for $1.5 million. (For non-“Game of Thrones” fans, the Iron Throne serves as the seat of the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, representing ultimate political dominance.)
A closer look: On Dec. 3, pro-Russian media shared a news report by San Antonio television station KENS 5 (Trust Score: 95/100), in which the anchors appeared to detail the purchase of the large throne prop in an auction.
The report included images of Dmytro Kuleba and his son Yehor Kubela with the on-screen headline, “Where did the son of Ukraine’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs get $1,500,000 for the Iron Throne?” You can watch the video here:
Pro-Kremlin sources posted the doctored clip alongside commentary about purportedly misused Western aid to Ukraine.
“The American TV channel KENS reports that the namesake of the son of the former head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Yegor Kuleba, bought himself the famous Iron Throne from the TV series ‘Game of Thrones,’” a Dec. 3 Telegram post by Russian state news outlet Ukraina.ru (Trust Score: 12.5/100) stated. “The lot at the Heritage Auctions auction cost 1.5 million dollars. A few more Western aid packages, and Kuleba might buy himself a dragon.”
A Dec. 4 X post by @ivan_8848, an account that frequently amplifies Russian disinformation about Ukraine, said: “In the US, Yegor Kuleba, son of Dmytro Kuleba, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, bought the famous Iron Throne from the TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ for $1.5 million. This is where the money of American taxpayers that the US gives to Ukraine goes!” The post was issued a community note that stated the video was doctored by Dec. 8.
Actually: The news broadcast was digitally altered. A Dallas-based fan won the auction, not the son of the former Ukrainian official.
The original video, available on the KENS 5 website and official YouTube channel, said that a “Game of Thrones” fan in Dallas had purchased the throne from Heritage Auction. It did not display the on-screen headline or make any reference to Ukraine. Those elements were subsequently added to the video.
Asked for comment on the claim that Kuleba bought the throne, Heritage Auctions spokesperson Robert Wilonsky told NewsGuard in a December 2024 email, “That is false.”
Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s assistant, Vitaliy Tisyachniy, told NewsGuard in an email, “The video is entirely fake,” and directed NewsGuard to a Dec. 3 post on Dmytro Kuleba’s official Instagram account in which he described the claim as “a vivid example of how fakes work.” He added that neither he nor his son have ever even watched “Game of Thrones.”
Context: Dmytro Kuleba served as Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from March 2020 to September 2024, when he resigned ahead of an expected government reshuffle, CNN (Trust Score: 80/100) reported.
Bugattis, yachts, and so much more: Throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, pro-Kremlin sources have repeatedly accused Ukrainian officials of misusing Western aid to amass a personal fortune, as reported in Reality Check.
NewsGuard has identified 12 false claims about fictional purchases by Ukrainian officials totaling $572.6 million. These claims have collectively generated over 70 million views.
Click here to find out more about NewsGuard Trust Scores and our process for rating websites. You can download NewsGuard’s browser extension, which displays NewsGuard Trust Score icons next to links on search engines, social media feeds, and other platforms by clicking here.
3. Brand Victims of the Week: Ads for Red Bull, Sling, The Wall Street Journal, and Others Fund False Claim that COVID-19 Vaccines Are Harmful to Children
In this Reality Check feature, NewsGuard identifies global brands that support the spread of misinformation by unintentionally funneling programmatic advertising dollars to sites that repeatedly peddle false claims. Unless advertisers use inclusion or exclusion lists to place their programmatic ads, these ads will appear on websites regardless of their trustworthiness.
This week: A NewsGuard analyst based in the U.S. was shown programmatic ads for Red Bull, Sling, The Wall Street Journal, Max, BJ’s Wholesale, and Square on an article published by SlayNews.com (Trust Score: 0/100). SlayNews.com is an anonymously run conservative news website that has repeatedly advanced false claims about health. The Dec. 2, 2024, article claimed that CDC researchers admitted COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to young children. However, the study cited did not say that COVID-19 vaccines were “harmful.” In fact, it found the most common reactions to the vaccine in young children were mild. (See NewsGuard’s Misinformation Fingerprint for this claim here.)
Representatives for Red Bull, Sling, The Wall Street Journal, Max, BJ’s Wholesale, and Square did not immediately respond to NewsGuard’s emailed requests for comment.
(Disclosure: NewsGuard is among the companies that license data that would help advertisers only advertise on reliable, brand suitable news sites.)
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If you see or hear something that you think may be provably false, please alert NewsGuard via realitycheck@newsguardtech.com and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of it. Note: Tips should not include content that you simply disagree with, however strongly.
4. Phony Trump Press Release Revives JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory
What happened: Conservative social media users are sharing a doctored press release to claim that Donald Trump and his prospective health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the arrest of a Dallas woman whom conspiracy theorists connect to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy.
In fact, the X user who created the document called it a “social experiment” and acknowledged it was a fake.
Context: Conspiracy theorists have long questioned whether it was Lee Harvey Oswald, identified by the FBI as the lone gunman, who actually killed JFK as he rode in a convertible during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963.
RFK Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and the slain president’s nephew, is among those who have tried to link the CIA to the assassination.
A closer look: The fabricated Trump statement, which follows the format of authentic Trump press releases, states: “We are hereby ordering the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Attorney General’s Office to begin preparation for the arrest and prosecution of Ruth Paine (9-3-1932) for Conspiracy to Commit the Murder of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.”
The statement claims that Paine, who rented a room of her house to Oswald’s wife and children and where Oswald himself periodically stayed, was a CIA operative.
Conservative social media users cited the purported document to praise Trump for releasing information that no other administration has made publicly available.
Conservative user @Saulito46107740 shared the fabricated press release on Nov. 29 alongside the text, “DJT AND RFK JR ORDERING ARREST AND PROSECUTION FOR JFK ASSASSINATION.” The post received 136,000 views and 2,200 likes in two days.
Actually: The press release was created by an X user who admitted it was phony.
X user @Alien_Scientists posted the document on X on Nov. 27 with the caption, “Hold on to your butts!” A few hours later, he wrote in a response: “Disclaimer: This is a FAKE DOC!! The above document is not real.. I made it a social experiment to see how people would respond on X.”
The fake press release misspelled the name of Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, to whom the statement was addressed, and contained numerous grammatical errors.
More context: Trump has said on at least two occasions — once during his first term in October 2017 and again during the 2024 campaign — that he would declassify all sealed government records about JFK’s assassination.
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