A Navy reservist who known to push debunked conspiracy theories on social media was stripped of his security clearance, according to reports by NBC News.
Lt. j.g. Jack Posobiec, a Navy Reserve intelligence officer, was thrust into the public spotlight this week after President Trump retweeted his take on the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, in which the officer implied the public outrage was fueled by media bias rather than concern of violence, according to NBC News.
Cmdr. Doug Gabos, a spokesman for Navy Reserve Forces, told Task and Purpose, “I can confirm that his clearance has been suspended.”
But Posobiec said otherwise. “As far as I know, my clearance was not suspended,” Posobiec told Task and Purpose. “It’s in a hold status, yes. This has gone on since February… I have not had any access to classified information in over seven months.”
Posobiec told Military Times Thursday that his security clearance was “reviewed” earlier this year and he resigned from the Office of Naval Intelligence in March and filed a complaint with the Inspector General claiming a “toxic work climate” and saying his chain of command treated him poorly due to his personal political beliefs. He said he never advocated for Trump in the office or on duty.
Posobiec had previously gained notoriety online for pushing a host of conspiracy theories. He reportedly tried to sabotage an anti-Trump protest by holding up a sign that said: “Rape Melania.” Posobiec told Military Times that the Melania sign claim was false and that was investigated by the Secret Service and he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Mackenzie Wolf is an editorial intern for Military Times.
