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The Big Lies › 2018 › File PF-0127
Debunked

NBC: Russian Bots and Trolls Drove #ReleaseTheMemo

NBC and other outlets reported that Russia-linked bots and trolls were amplifying the #ReleaseTheMemo hashtag pushing for release of the Nunes FISA memo, relying largely on the Hamilton 68 dashboard.

First reported Jan 19, 2018 · NBC News, The New York Times, Business Insider, Politico, AP, MSNBC
Screenshot of the original report as published
Screenshot of the report as published: nbcnews.com. Tap to open the source.
Who it helped: Democrats

The error cast a Republican push to release the Nunes memo as a Russian influence operation.

What was reported

NBC and other outlets reported that Russia-linked bots and trolls were amplifying the #ReleaseTheMemo hashtag pushing for release of the Nunes FISA memo, relying largely on the Hamilton 68 dashboard.

What actually happened

The bot story, sourced mainly to the Alliance for Securing Democracy's Hamilton 68 dashboard, spread across major outlets and prompted top congressional Democrats to ask Twitter and Facebook to investigate. Twitter's internal review at the time found no signs of Russian affiliation among the accounts driving the hashtag and judged the trend organic. Those internal findings became public in the 2023 Twitter Files, which also showed Twitter staff privately questioning Hamilton 68's unexplained methods.

The proof

Internal Twitter communications released as Twitter Files #14 show Trust and Safety reviewed the leading accounts and found none tied to Russia.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

NBC: Russian Bots and Trolls Drove #ReleaseTheMemo — Debunked. Internal Twitter communications released as Twitter Files #14 show Trust and Safety reviewed the leading accounts and found none tied to Russia. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/nbc-releasethememo-russian-bots/

Original reporting

Corrections, findings & records

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

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