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Park County was the setting of a fake news story that recently circulated through conspiracy theorist circles.
Last week, a website posted a shocking story claiming that a team of Navy SEALs …
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Park County was the setting of a fake news story that recently circulated through conspiracy theorist circles.
Last week, a website posted a shocking story claiming that a team of Navy SEALs raided Bill Gates’ ranch on the South Fork. According to Real Raw News, the elite military force launched a tactical assault at the billionaire’s property on May 17, with one SEAL and eight members of a Gates security team killed in a firefight. The military members then supposedly raided a secret, $36 million subterranean “child dungeon” under the lodge.
The problem?
“It never happened,” said Park County Sheriff Scott Steward, calling the story “bulls—.”
Steward has heard nothing resembling the events described in the article — and said he’d know about an operation of that magnitude.
An LLC associated with Gates did acquire the 492-acre Irma Lake Lodge in 2009, but that appears to be one of the only accurate pieces of information in the article.
The fact-checking website Snopes published a debunking of the Real Raw News piece on Tuesday, noting the website has published a series of bogus stories — including one claiming former Vice President Mike Pence was shot while fleeing police. Real Raw News’ About page even includes a disclaimer stating that its content “contains humor, parody, and satire.”
“Real Raw News does not traffic in genuine news reporting,” wrote Snopes’ Dan Evon, pointing out various holes in the raid story. “This is a satire website that publishes QAnon fan fiction from an alternate universe.”
Many of the site’s pieces are built around various conspiracy theories, which hold that former President Donald Trump continues to covertly lead the military in a fight against an international cabal of child predators.
Steward said the “predawn” raid of Gates’ ranch described in the Real Raw News piece “sounds like a Tom Clancy novel.”
However, despite the outlandishness of the claims, other alternative news sites and personalities shared the story on their channels — and Steward said he received a handful of inquiries from journalists with various publications.
“It’s amazing how many outlets have regurgitated that,” the sheriff said.
The Tribune reached out to Real Raw News for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
