Video shows Sen. Josh Hawley questioning witness, no pleas for 'no jail time' | Fact check

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Video shows congressional witness plead for 'no jail time'

A Sept. 2 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, questioning a witness at a 2021 Senate committee hearing.

"BREAKING: Garland's Witness PLEADS to Josh Hawley for No JAIL Time After EXPOSING 'Witch Hunt,'" reads the video's caption.

The video was shared more than 300 times in two weeks.

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Our rating: False

No one in the video mentions jail time or requests "no jail time." No one mentions a "witch hunt." Attorney General Merrick Garland is also not mentioned, nor does he appear in the video.

Video miscaptioned, no talk of 'jail time'

In the video, Hawley questions Allison Lerner, the inspector general of the National Science Foundation, about allegations of misconduct among members of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. Michael Horowitz, the inspector general of the Justice Department, is also shown speaking.

There is no discussion of "jail time" in the video.

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USA TODAY has debunked many posts that pair congressional footage with an inaccurate and provocative title − a type of misinformation called "false framing," Mike Caulfield, a research scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, previously told USA TODAY.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hawley questions witness, no plea for 'no jail time' | Fact check