A post shared on Facebook claims the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps purportedly convicted National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli of treason.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 20 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” In addition, a spokesperson for Navy JAG denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Bertagnolli took office as the 17th NIH director in November 2023, according to her official biography via the NIH’s website. Bertagnolli is “the first surgeon and second woman to hold the position,” the same biography indicates.

The Facebook post claims Navy JAG has purportedly convicted Bertagnolli of treason.

The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 20 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice [of] legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.

According to the Sept. 20 article, JAG investigators purportedly arrested Bertagnolli and conducted a “lengthy investigation that showed she had asked WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to declare monkeypox and the FLiRT and LB.1 coronavirus strains an international health emergency so that “President Harris” would have a workable excuse to suppress in-person voting in the 2024 presidential election.”

Bertagnolli’s alleged execution is set for Sept. 25, according to the same article.

The Sept. 20 article is a follow-up piece to the satire site’s previous claim that Bertagnolli had been arrested back in August. Check Your Fact also debunked that claim. (RELATED: Did US Marines Stop Illegal Immigrants From Voting Early In Virginia?)

Likewise, the claim is neither referenced on Navy JAG’s website nor its verified social media accounts. The NIH also does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim, either.

In addition, Navy JAG spokesperson Patricia Babb denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“This is not true,” Babb said of the claim.