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Fake news story says hitman for Bill Clinton confesses
A fake news story says that former President Bill Clinton’s hitman has carried out more than 60 murders at the request of Clinton and his wife "Killary."
"Bill Clinton’s hitman confesses on his deathbed," stated a Jan. 8 headline on The Patriot Report.
Facebook users flagged the post as being potentially fabricated, as part of the social network’s efforts to combat fake news. We found that this story, which has circulated on multiple websites, lacks any evidence and is filled with ridiculous, made-up statements.
The story’s only source is an alleged intern -- unnamed -- who interviewed the alleged hitman on behalf of Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
The story said that the hitman who operated under the alias Wilshire Williams (but was actually named Terrence Wilekenmeyer) was a low-level runner for the mafia until he was sold to Clinton in exchange for 12 cases of confiscated Arkansas moonshine.
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But now dying of pancreatic cancer with one week left to live, the hitman wanted to come clean and told his story to the Fox News intern.
The intern allegedly told The Patriot News that the hitman "put three bullets in Vince Foster and two in Seth Rich. He tied up more loose ends than any other hitman in history."
Foster was the former White House counsel who committed suicide in 1993. Rich was the Democratic National Committee worker who was murdered in 2016. Both deaths have been the subject of conspiracy theories.
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We noticed that the supposed real name of the hitman -- Terrence Wilekenmeyer -- was the same last name as Ezekiel Wilekenmeyer, a pen name used by one of the biggest purveyors of fake news, Christopher Blair.
A Fox News spokeswoman Jaclyn Giuliano said that Hannity had no involvement whatsoever in the story alleging a Clinton hit man confessed on his deathbed.
The Patriot Report’s website claims that it offers "solid conservative perspective on the issues of the day" and aims to "to equip the current generation of American Patriots with the right information" to support and defend the unalienable rights of man. We find that the website posts fake news.
We sent a message to The Patriot Report on Facebook and did not hear back.
A headline said that "Bill Clinton’s hitman confesses on his deathbed." There is no evidence that such a confessing hitman exists. We rate this story Pants on Fire.
Our Sources
The Patriot Report, "Bill Clinton’s Hitman Confesses On His Deathbed (SOURCE: HANNITY)," Jan. 8, 2018
PolitiFact, "PolitiFact's guide to fake news websites and what they peddle," April 20, 2017
PolitiFact, "Vince Foster’s death has not been ruled a homicide after autopsy, despite fake news reports," April 3, 2018
PolitiFact, "Seth Rich: Separating fact and speculation," Aug. 7, 2016
Interview, Fox News spokeswoman Jaclyn Giuliano, Jan. 19, 2018
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Fake news story says hitman for Bill Clinton confesses
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