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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on November 5, 2019 in a Facebook post: \"JFK Jr was declared the frontrunner for the NY Senate seat in 1999. Days later his plane crashed, making Hillary Clinton the newly elected senator.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * Elections * Facebook Fact-checks * Viral image ![\\"Ciara](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke November 8, 2019 # Another Clinton body count hoax — this one starring JFK Jr. — is wrong A recent Facebook post revisits well-trodden conspiracy theories about the Clinton family and suggests Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s ambition knows no bounds. \"JFK Jr was declared the frontrunner for the NY Senate seat in 1999,\" the Nov. 5 post says. \"Days later his plane crashed, making Hillary Clinton the newly elected senator.\" This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) It’s been shared more than 2,000 times. An identical post from 2017 is nearing 30,000 shares. Here are the facts. On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife and his sister-in-law were killed in a plane crash. Kennedy, then the founder and publisher of George magazine, was piloting the single-engine Piper Saratoga when it plunged into the Atlantic Ocean. Then-President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton attended the memorial mass. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on August 19, 2024 in in social media posts Videos show Kamala Harris intoxicated. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • August 22, 2024 The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the crash probably happened after Kennedy, who was inexperienced at flying his plane alone at night, became disoriented in haze. Kennedy was not a candidate for any public office when he died. But a few days after this death, the New York Daily News ran a story citing two anonymous friends who said they thought Kennedy would have run for office some day. \"Earlier this year, in one of the best-kept secrets in state politics, Kennedy considered seeking the seat of retiring Sen. Daniel Moynihan (D-N.Y.) in 2000, the friends confirmed yesterday,\" the story says. Though a private poll in 1997 found that JFK Jr. was the state’s most popular Democrat by far, according to the story, \"the idea became moot once First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton signaled her interest in running, but the two friends said they expected the son of the slain president eventually would have jumped into politics as a candidate.\" A 1999 Washington Post story says that a \"Kennedy insider\" claimed leading Democrats had unsuccessfully approached Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run for Moynihan’s seat. Hillary Clinton was elected to Moynihan’s vacated seat on Nov. 7, 2000. We rate this Facebook post False. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Facebook post, Oct. 27, 2017 Facebook post, Nov. 5, 2019 The New York Times, Bodies from Kennedy crash are found, July 22, 1999 CNN, Clintons, Kennedy family fly to New York for JFK Jr. mass, July 23, 1999 The New York Times, Safety board blames pilot error in crash in Kennedy plane, July 7, 2000 New York Daily News, JFK Jr. mulled run for Senate in 2000, July 20, 1999 The Washington Post, Camelot’s future: The Kennedy generations, July 25, 1999 U.S. House of Representatives, Hillary Rodham Clinton, visited Nov. 8, 2019 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Ciara O\'Rourke slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" logo-black-01/b6cedac93f6e57c68ecc025e5ec29d57.jpg\\") ![](\\" logo-black-01/438dbf066033f99de07598cbcc77ddcb.jpg\\") Threads posts stated on September 2, 2024 in a Threads post: Photo shows Vice President Kamala Harris “in the 90s.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 4, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 27, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Kurt Russell forms a new non-woke actors alliance with Roseanne Barr and Tim Allen.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 23, 2024 in an X post: Photo of former President Donald Trump after an assassination attempt was generated by artificial intelligence. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 8, 2024 in a Threads post: “Elon Musk is going to expose Bill Gates soon, says ‘he’s evil.’” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 6, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Gordon Ramsay calls Tim Walz a ‘woke creep,’ throws him out of Hell’s Kitchen.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 7, 2024 in a Threads post: Photo shows Elton John wearing a “MAGA” jacket. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 30, 2024 in a Facebook post: Video shows tornadoes in Canada. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 8, 2024 in an Instagram post: Video shows a Ku Klux Klan member at a rally for former President Donald Trump. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 7, 2024 in a Threads post: Elon Musk said, “Anyone caught promoting propaganda will be suspended from X.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 6, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Elon Musk to fund new anti-woke show featuring Tucker Carlson.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 2, 2024 in an Instagram post: Image shows “Michelle Obama’s necklace from DNC speech” said “Mike.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 11, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 4, 2024 in an Instagram post: “The entire family of Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz—they are all supporting Donald Trump.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 6, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 4, 2024 in an Instagram post: An image shows the social media profile of the accused suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 5, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image 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starring JFK Jr. — is wrong * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: A video shows a body that Israel embedded with a bomb exploding during a Palestinian funeral procession. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 11, 2024 in a post: “ESPN has fired Shannon Sharpe.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Gideon Hess • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: Former President Donald Trump admitted during the Sept. 10 presidential debate that he “blew up the Nord Stream pipeline.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 10, 2024 in a Facebook post: Patron, Don Julio and Pink Whitney tequila recalled because they contained fecal matter. ![\\"false\\"](\\" 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JFK Jr was declared the frontrunner for the NY Senate seat in 1999 Days later his plane crashed making Hillary Clinton the newly elected senator