FactCheck of the Week: Posts revive US Capitol riot, Pelosi conspiracy theory

Social media posts are spreading a false claim that former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke by phone with Ray Epps, a man linked to conspiracy theories surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The claim cites Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, which allegedly show a dozen phone calls between Epps and Pelosi’s office the week before the attack. However, there is no evidence that such records exist.

FOIA requests apply only to the executive branch of government, not to the legislative branch, which includes Congress, to which Pelosi belongs. While Congress imposes some transparency, the requirements do not extend to phone records. Pelosi’s office has denied the claim. Similar to many social media claims about the Capitol attack, this claim is false.

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Source: AFP Fact Check