No, the military didn’t arrest a former USDA inspector general

Former U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong was fired in January, after 22 years on the job, when the Trump administration dismissed such watchdogs from at least 18 federal agencies. 

But claims that the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps then arrested Fong are inaccurate.

"JAG arrests nasty, vicious, un-American USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong after she gets kicked out of office," a Feb. 3 Facebook post said. "White Hats arrested USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong just minutes after President Trump FIRED her, a source in General Eric M. Smith’s office confirmed. Security officials dragged her out of her office, not even allowing her to pack her belongings."

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

That’s because this claim originated, word for word, on a website that publishes sensational, fabricated news stories. 

Gen. Eric M. Smith is the U.S. Marine Corps commandant. A Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps spokesperson, meanwhile, told PolitiFact the claim in the Facebook post isn’t true.

We also found no credible evidence, such as authentic news stories, criminal case filings or public statements, that Fong was arrested. 

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Reuters, citing "sources familiar with the matter," reported Jan. 29 that security agents escorted Fong out of her office after she "refused to comply with her firing." After the article was published, an Agriculture Department spokesperson told Reuters that she left on her own accord, "accompanied by two friends who she paused to take selfies with on her way out."

"Security officials did not play any role in her departure," the spokesperson said.

We rate claims Fong was arrested, much less by the military, Pants on Fire!