Unrepentant birther Jerome Corsi apparently knew the DNC-Seth Rich conspiracy was false, pushed it anyway


Before he started predicting his indictment by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Jerome Corsi was probably best known as a leading proponent of the false conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. and was therefore ineligible to be president. He's also a vocal promoter of the conspiracy theory that Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich leaked politically damaging DNC emails released during the 2016 presidential campaign, and was murdered because of it. (Washington, D.C., police believe Rich's July 2016 murder was part of a botched robbery.)
Emails unearthed by Mueller's investigators and published Tuesday show that Corsi knew "hackers" were behind the pilfering of Democratic emails being promoted by WikiLeaks, suggesting he did not believe his own Seth Rich story, Will Sommers notes at The Daily Beast. In an Aug. 2, 2016, email to Trump adviser Roger Stone, Corsi also suggested claiming Hillary Clinton had a stroke and accurately predicted WikiLeaks' release of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta:
Word is friend in embassy plans 2 more dumps. One shortly after I’m back. 2nd in Oct. Impact planned to be very damaging. ... Time to let more than [Podesta] to be exposed as in bed w enemy if they are not ready to drop [Clinton]. That appears to be the game hackers are now about. Would not hurt to start suggesting HRC old, memory bad, has stroke — neither he nor she well. [Jerome Corsi to Roger Stone, via Mueller]
On MSNBC Wednesday night, Corsi told Ari Melber he's been accused of lying since he was in kindergarten but in his heart, he knows he's telling the lonely truth — or just playing "politics." He also made clear he's still a birther.
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You can watch the entire befuddling interview at MSNBC.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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