Paul Horner, ‘Fake News’ Writer Who Claimed to Influence 2016 Election, Found Dead at 38

Paul Horner, a writer of “fake news” who claimed to influence the 2016 election with his widely discredited stories, was found dead outside Phoenix (AZ). He was 38. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Mark Casey said that Horner’s body was discovered in his bed on Sept. 18. The county’s medical examiner found no signs of foul play, Casey said, adding that Horner had a history of prescription drug abuse and that “evidence at the scene suggested this could be an accidental overdose.”

Horner gained international attention during the 2016 presidential election for his widely circulated and wildly unsubstantiated stories on Facebook that were designed to intentionally rile people up. He circulated a story that erroneously claimed President Barack Obama was gay and a radical Muslim, and another saying protesters were paid thousands of dollars to protest at then-candidate Donald Trump’s campaign rallies.