Is it authentic?

Is the context accurate?

Is there evidence that proves the claim?

Is it based on solid reasoning?

Has it been posted or confirmed by a credible source?

No evidence shows that Ukraine invested in FTX or that funds from Ukraine were used by Bankman-Fried to make political donations to Democrats.

“FTX helped with a cryptocurrency fundraising site, but there’s no connection to U.S. aid to Ukraine” 

“Fact Check: NO Evidence That US Aid To Ukraine Was ‘Laundered’ Through Crypto Exchange FTX, Channeled To Democrats” 

“Why The Theory That Sam Bankman-Fried Laundered Ukraine Aid Makes No Sense”

FTX money-laundering conspiracy involving Dems, Ukraine doesn’t hold up

 it received from the United States (for its war with Russia) into the collapsed cryptocurrency company FTX.

 in support of Ukraine into regular currency for deposits to the country’s national bank.

 during the midterm elections to Democratic causes and candidates.

Bankman-Fried also supported some Republican candidates and Ryan Salame, CEO of an FTX subsidiary, 

donated $24 million to Republican candidates and committees

FTX was not involved with U.S. aid to Ukraine beyond affiliating with a cryptocurrency fundraising site.

Baseless claims that invoke a complex conspiracy involving Ukraine moving relief funding from the United States through the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX and on to the Democratic Party for support during the 2022 midterm elections is spreading among far-right partisans online. But these claims are absurd. Let’s look at the facts. 

Only fringe outlets and political partisans have pushed the baseless idea that FTX, the Democratic Party and Ukraine are somehow involved in a conspiracy. 

Evidence should lead to conclusions, not the other way around.

When news broke that FTX was filing for bankruptcy, political partisans started searching for ways to connect the failed cryptocurrency exchange to Democrats. The fact that the disgraced CEO of FTX was a major donor to Democratic candidates and causes (

), that Ukraine has received billions of dollars in financial support from the United States (

), and that Ukraine previously partnered with FTX (

 — a cognitive bias that leads people to actively search for and interpret information in biased ways that reinforce their current beliefs — influential figures on the far right concluded that the Democratic party was sponsoring aid to Ukraine so the money could be “laundered” through FTX and back to the party, then used for candidates in the midterms.

Conspiracy theories are often based on kernels of truth, but they also tend to explain away or altogether ignore inconvenient facts while bending the truth in other areas. In this case, partisans ignored the fact that FTX also donated millions to Republican candidates and misrepresented the relationship between the company and Ukraine.

Blue

Many of these posts present photos, videos and data out of context. Remember, purveyors of misinformation often attach false captions to photos and videos of mundane activities to make it seem as if something suspicious took place.

Conspiracy theories appeal to our psychological need for a simple explanation and someone to blame. You can stumble across them online even when searching for reliable information. These compelling narratives, and the false evidence they include, can draw you in, manipulating your emotions and using your cognitive biases against you to trick you into believing them. This quiz is designed to help you learn to recognize conspiratorial thinking and understand its consequences.

News Lit Quiz: Avoid the trap of conspiratorial thinking

There is no evidence supporting any of the above claims. Election officials and fact-checkers have investigated several claims about voter fraud and have discounted them. 

This tutorial video teaches you the basics of “lateral reading” (doing effective internet searches to evaluate a source or piece of information).

Lateral Reading

Tutorial: Lateral reading

We can all make better choices about the information we consume, share and act on. But can you tell the difference between social media posts that are false or misleading and those that are credible?

Test your news literacy skills with this quiz and help stop the flood of misinformation.

News Lit Quiz: Should you share it?

“No, this map doesn’t delegitimize the New York governor’s race” 

“Fact check: Viral image shows election worker, not Katie Hobbs, in secure voting area” 

“No, these aren’t photos of trashed 2022 election ballots” 

“Fact Check: Viral 2020 Video Does NOT Show Election Workers Committing Fraud In Delaware County, Pennsylvania -- NO Fraud In 2020, Either” 

“No, this isn’t video evidence of election fraud in Philadelphia” 

“Fact Check-Reelection of dead PA state rep is not proof of fraud; Special election due to fill his spot” 

“Fact Check-Incorrect figures aired in RSBN election broadcast are not proof of voter fraud in PA governor’s race” 

“Fact Check-Article claiming U.S. military found evidence of election fraud in 2022 midterms stems from oft-debunked website” 

“Fact Check: Texas Election ‘Poll Pads’ NOT Caught Adding Hundreds Of Voters In Real Time As Poll Is Being Closed” 

Midterm misinformation continues to spread 

 in the governor’s race on election night.

Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who won the governor’s race in Arizona, 

Garbage collectors in California and New Mexico 

 thousands of midterm election ballots in the trash.

A poll worker in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, 

A video supposedly showing a poll worker in Philadelphia 

 by writing on ballots is not accurate or evidence of fraud.

The re-election of a Pennsylvania state representative 

Typos broadcast as part of a partisan network’s election coverage 

Electronic poll books — also known as “poll pads” — in Texas 

Baseless claims about fraud and other improprieties during the 2022 midterm elections continue to spread online in the aftermath of voting. Let’s look at the facts. 

These rumors were all pushed by hyperpartisan social media accounts and websites. None were reported by credible sources. 

Develop a nuanced understanding of news media bias by learning about five types of bias and five ways it can manifest itself, as well as methods for minimizing it.

Understanding Bias

As states continue to certify the results of the 2022 midterm elections, baseless rumors and conspiratorial claims about election fraud continue to circulate on social media. But there is no evidence supporting them. These false claims follow established patterns of election disinformation: misinterpreted actions of poll workers, misconstrued technical glitches, typos, satirical claims mistaken as authentic and out-of-context photos and video.

Many of these false claims don’t merely challenge election results, they also alter public confidence in the election system. All available evidence, however, shows that the 

, like the 2020 presidential election, were safe, secure and devoid of significant fraud.

The evidence shows that this claim was largely based on a misinterpretation of a letter signed by Iranian politicians. It called for “severe punishments” for protesters but did not specify the death penalty. 

“No, Iran has not sentenced 15,000 protesters to death” 

“No, 15,000 protesters in Iran were not sentenced to death”

“Canada’s Trudeau deletes tweet falsely claiming Iran has sentenced 15,000 protesters to death” 

No, Iran did not sentence 15,000 protesters to death 

Protests broke out in Iran two months ago after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, who was charged with violating the country’s strict dress code.

 for staging anti-government demonstrations.

Iran’s Revolutionary Court recently issued the first death sentence for one of the protesters.

 to all 15,000 protesters who were detained.

International human rights experts warn that protesters in Iran remain at risk for death sentences and executions.

A headline falsely claiming that all 15,000 protesters recently detained by the Iranian government were sentenced to death touched off a wave of social media posts from public figures. But it’s not true. Let’s look at the facts. 

Celebrities and politicians who are active on social media sometimes also spread false rumors by accident. In this case, Trudeau repeated the false claim in a tweet before deleting it. A standard of quality journalism is to never base a story on a single source, and this also applies to news readers. Remember to cross-check claims against multiple sources.

Misinformation tends to spread when emotions are high. A false report that the Iranian Parliament had voted to 

 set off a wave of social media posts that included responses and condemnations from notable personalities such as Peter Frampton, Viola Davis and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

 from a Nov. 8 Newsweek article that was 

 on Nov. 15 to “remove the reference to the Iranian Parliament voting for death sentences” after the original misinformation went viral. Remember to search for multiple sources to confirm information before sharing a provocative article.