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Anonymous ID: 812f56 May 7, 2023, 4:32 p.m. No.18812769   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>2797 >>2835 >>2891 >>3135 >>3271 >>3358

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/10/business/media/pizzagate.html

Dissecting the #PizzaGate Conspiracy Theories

By GREGOR AISCH, JON HUANG and CECILIA KANG DEC. 10, 2016

In the span of a few weeks, a false rumor that Hillary Clinton and her top aides were involved in various crimes snowballed into a wild conspiracy theory that they were running a child-trafficking ring out of a Washington pizza parlor. The fast evolution of the false theory revealed how a powerful mix of fake news and social media led an armed North Carolina man to investigate the rumors about the pizza place, Comet Ping Pong, last Sunday.

How the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory evolved

The conspiracy theory took the internet by storm. YouTube clips pushed the false story, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Tens of thousands of individuals subscribed to message boards, feeding into theories with fake news reports and crowd-driven detective work. The police refuted the claims of an online pedophile ring running out of Comet Ping Pong, but the theories continued. Here are eight that gave #PizzaGate momentum.

Claim: Podesta’s leaked emails contained secret code language.

Combing through John Podesta’s leaked emails, members of a far-right fringe community on the social media site 4chan and Trump supporters on Reddit pulled out a number of emails unconnected to politics. Several of them mentioned pizza or other Italian food.

Did you leave a handkerchief

09-02-2014

From: Susan Sandler

To: John Podesta

The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yorus? They can send it if you want. I know you’re busy, so feel free not to respond if it’s not yours or you don’t want it.

Source: Wikileaks

09-04-2014

From: John Podesta

To: Susan Sandler

It's mine, but not worth worrying about.

Source: Wikileaks

The most cited email revolved around a handkerchief left at a house Mr. Podesta visited with a real estate agent. It led to speculation that the handkerchief and map on it were clues to some sort of wrongdoing.

Claim: The emails contained coded messages about pedophilia.

The term “cheese pizza” had previously been used on 4chan as code for “child pornography.” An anonymous user speculated that other food-related terms could also have double meanings.

images/4chan-terms.png

An anonymous post on 4chan’s “so-called alt-right” discussion board in November.

Anonymous ID: 812f56 May 7, 2023, 4:39 p.m. No.18812803   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>2835 >>2891 >>3135 >>3271 >>3358

https://www.salon.com/2016/12/07/twitter-bots-promoted-pizzagate-conspiracy-theory-that-led-gunman-into-comet-ping-pong/

Twitter bots promoted Pizzagate conspiracy theory that led gunman into Comet Ping Pong

How an email about a lost handkerchief spawned a bogus story about a pedophilia ring in a pizza joint basement

Anonymous ID: 812f56 May 7, 2023, 4:39 p.m. No.18812805   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>2807

"Hi John, The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yours? They can send it if you want. I know you’re busy, so feel free not to respond if it’s not yours or you don’t want it."