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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 30, 2022 in an Instagram post: “Two far-right websites attributed to David DePape to smear conservatives were fabricated — they were created Friday.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"pants- fire\\"](\\" * Facebook Fact-checks * California * Viral image ![\\"Ciara](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke November 2, 2022 # No, blogs weren’t created day of Pelosi attack to smear conservatives #### If Your Time is short * Two blogs feature months of writing from a user with the same name as the man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband. The Washington Post confirmed that one of the sites is registered to the man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband. See the sources for this fact-check Since the Oct. 28 attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, at their San Francisco home, news organizations have reported on two blogs written by a user who called himself \"daviddepape.\" That’s the same name as the man who has been criminally charged in the incident. But some social media and blog posts have claimed that the sites were fabricated to vilify conservatives. \"Two far-right websites attributed to David DePape to smear conservatives were fabricated — they were created Friday and deleted Saturday,\" the Oct. 30 post says. 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 Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.) Both blogs — called Frenly Frens and The Loving God — are no longer online, but parts of the sites were archived after the Pelosi attack and some media outlets reviewed them before they went dark. The Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library that saves billions of web pages over time, has files showing the blogs were not created the day of the attack. And there’s no evidence to support the claim that they were created to smear conservatives. The Washington Post reported that at least one site contained \"hundreds of blog posts in recent months sharing memes in support of fringe commentators and far-right personalities. Many posts were filled with screeds against Jews, Black people, Democrats, the media and transgender people.\" #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 30, 2024 in a post \"Samsung drops out of $1 billion advertising campaign with Olympics.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • August 2, 2024 The Washington Post traced the Frenly Frens, which was registered in August, to DePape’s name and address. An archived version of the other blog shows posts from August. Vice News detailed the steps it took to trace the blogs to DePape. \"Public records indicate that there’s only one person named David DePape in the state of California,\" Vice said. \"An SFgate article from 2013 about a Bay Area woman named Gypsy Taub, who was planning a naked wedding, identified ‘David DePape’ as the best man and a ‘hemp jewelry maker.’ The article also reported the two lived together. In 2007, a blog under the name David DePape posted several articles on a crafting site about making hemp jewelry. One post links to The Loving God.\" Vice News said it found identical posts on Frenly Frens and on The Loving God, including one post featuring a screenshot of a 2016 email to Taub. \"Some of the most frequent posts are screenshots of text message arguments that he’s had with a family member,\" Vice said. We rate claims that these blogs were created the same day Pelosi was attacked to smear conservatives Pants on Fire! #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Instagram post, Oct. 30, 3022 The New York Times, Politicized rantings on two blogs by a ‘daviddepape’ are drawing scrutiny, Oct. 28, 2022 The Daily Beast, Suspect in Pelosi attack spewed conspiracy sewage online, Oct. 28, 2022 The Guardian, What we know so far about the man who attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Oct. 28, 2022 The Washington Post, Alleged assailant filled blog with delusional thoughts in days before Pelosi attack, Oct. 29, 2022 Fox News, Nancy Pelosi husband attack: Who is David DePape, suspected Paul Pelosi assailant?, Oct. 28, 2022 Los Angeles Times, Accused Pelosi attacker David DePape spread QAnon, other far-right, bigoted conspiracies, Oct. 28, 2022 Vice, Man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband left trail of far-right hate, Oct. 28, 2022 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Ciara O\'Rourke slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on September 21, 2024 in an X post: Video shows Vice President Kamala Harris using a teleprompter. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 24, 2024 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on September 18, 2024 in an X post: Photo shows a toilet after “some Hezbollah operative blew up.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 24, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 21, 2024 in an Instagram post: “A staffer reveals that Kamala Harris doesn’t actually own a gun.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 23, 2024 ![](\\" logo-black-01/b6cedac93f6e57c68ecc025e5ec29d57.jpg\\") ![](\\" logo-black-01/438dbf066033f99de07598cbcc77ddcb.jpg\\") Threads posts stated on September 18, 2024 in a Threads post: Melania Trump “was an escort.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 27, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 23, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Serena Williams reportedly passes away following tragic car crash in Texas.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 27, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 25, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Elon Musk silences Taylor Swift: Shocking ban wipes out 1 million followers and costs her a staggering $72 million!” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 27, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 23, 2024 in an Instagram post: Haitians are responsible for the disappearance of 16 cats in Bangor, Maine. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 15, 2024 in a Facebook post: Photos show a toddler “saved” by Deputy Tyler Cooper. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" logo-black-01/b6cedac93f6e57c68ecc025e5ec29d57.jpg\\") ![](\\" logo-black-01/438dbf066033f99de07598cbcc77ddcb.jpg\\") Threads posts stated on September 24, 2024 in a Threads post: Says Donald Trump said, “Women are miserable — not sexy, not safe.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 21, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Taylor Swift faces a 10-game NFL ban following controversial political involvement.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 23, 2024 in a Facebook post: Photo shows missing couple Raymond Peterson and his wife, Sophie. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" logo-black-01/b6cedac93f6e57c68ecc025e5ec29d57.jpg\\") ![](\\" logo-black-01/438dbf066033f99de07598cbcc77ddcb.jpg\\") Threads posts stated on September 20, 2024 in a Threads post: “Oprah is a sex trafficker. 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Two farright websites attributed to David DePape to smear conservatives were fabricated they were created Friday