Fact check: Video shows Kennedy questioning FBI director, not exposing Ocasio-Cortez 'shady activities'

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Video shows Sen. John Kennedy expose Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez activities with Hunter Biden

A Facebook video shows clips of Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, speaking on the Senate floor.

"'I GOT THIS FROM HUNTER'S PC' - John Kennedy EXPOSES AOC'S Shady Activities With Potus Son," reads the video's caption in a Feb. 14 post (direct link, archive link).

The video was viewed more than 200,000 times in a day.

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Our rating: False

Neither individual shown in the video mentions Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or says "I got this from Hunter's PC."

Video content not related to caption

The laptop of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, was left at a computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware, in 2019, and data from it was obtained by the New York Post in 2020. In the time since, the contents of the laptop have been a regular talking point for Republicans and a source of online misinformation.

But the video in the post doesn't say what the description claims.

The video is composed of two clips. The first, which was filmed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last year, shows Kennedy questioning FBI director Christopher Wray about the behavior of a specific FBI agent.

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a press conference to announce an international ransomware enforcement action, at the Justice Department in Washington, DC, on January 26, 2023. The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday it had shut down the Hive ransomware operation, which had extorted more than $100 million from more than 1,500 victims worldwide. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The second clip, which shows Blackburn discussing purported social media censorship, was also recorded last year during a Senate session.

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USA TODAY has previously debunked the clip of Kennedy questioning Wray when it was inaccurately captioned. In that case, the social media user wrongfully claimed it showed Kennedy releasing classified documents.

The Facebook user who posted the video could not be reached.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video of FBI director miscaptioned, doesn't reference AOC