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Pro-Trump media websites are pushing the doubtful allegation that former President Barack Obama hacked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. These fringe websites, that often peddle fake news and conspiracy theories,have also previously alleged that Obama has surveilled and targeted Trump Tower and the Supreme Court overall, and some of these websites have claimed that Obama is trying to take down President Donald Trump by forming a shadow government.

On July 12, the pro-Trump alternative-mediablog Big League Politicsclaimedthat Roberts was hacked by a Deep State surveillance operation overseen by Obama administration CIA director John Brennan and Obama director of national intelligence James Clapper. The blog pointed to audio supposedly from a real estate billionaire explaining the program to former Maricopa County, AZ, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and associate Mike Zullo and saying, John Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, was hacked. (Arpaio and Zullo arediscredited figureswho have pushed the false conspiracy theory that Obamas birth certificate is fake). The author of the piece,Patrick Howley, also wrote that this supposed hack by Obama officials provides some more context for why Roberts voted in 2012 to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, suggesting the two are related. The blog, which alsoemployspro-Trump trollCassandra Fairbanks, has previously pushedotherdubiousclaims hyped by the alternative-media ecosystem.

The report was picked up bypro-Trump websiteThe Gateway Pundit, which called the tapes evidence that Roberts was hacked. Following suit,fake news purveyorsran with the story, withBefore Its NewsandYourNewsWirerepublishing at least parts of the Big League Politics article,Conservative PatriotandThe Washington Feedcalling the report a bombshell, andAmerican Todaycalling Roberts the latest victim of the Obama hacking. The Big League Politics, Gateway Pundit, and Conservative Patriot articles have received at least 1,900, 7,300, and 3,600 Facebook engagements, respectively, according to social media analytics website BuzzSumo.

The conspiracy theory comes after thepro-Trump fringe previously hypedFox analyst Andrew Napolitanos claim that Obama spied on the Supreme Court, and after fringe media outletsstaunchlydefendedTrumps false claim that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. Fringe media outlets have alsorepeatedly chargedthat Obama is trying to thwart Trumps presidency by forming a shadow government.

Read more from the original source:
Far-right media are now accusing Obama of spying on John Roberts - Salon