Just the Facts, Mr Roskam

Note to Ops: It doesn't matter how much fake news you put into circulation, you can never keep up. Haha, a good fake news story is a mix of assorted facts blended with some handpicked fiction.

For instance, everyone knows that Lake County vestigial Congressman Peter Roskam had a run-in with the House Office of Congressional Ethics. So it is not enough to report simply that ...

The office, which was formed in 2008, had initiated a probe in recent years into whether Roskam had improperly accepted a trip to Taiwan for his wife, Elizabeth, as a gift in 2011. Lester: Roskam won't say where he stood on ethics vote

You also need to ice the story with ...

The case was later dropped, and Roskam has denied any improper behavior. Lester: Roskam won't say where he stood on ethics vote

Roskam may have denied any wrongdoing, but the case had not been dropped by Office of Congressional Ethics. In fact, the OCE found there was substantial reason to believe that Roskam violated Federal law, and referred the case to the House Ethics Committee:

95. The government of Taiwan could not have paid for Representative Roskam's travel expenses under MECEA because Representative Roskam's spouse traveled with him on the trip to Taiwan. The Chinese Culture University could not have paid for Representative Roskam's travel expenses as a private sponsor of the trip because the University did not organize or conduct Representative Roskam's trip to Taiwan. 96. The Board therefore finds that there is substantial reason to believe that Representative Roskam accepted payment of travel expenses for an officially connected trip to Taiwan from an impermissible source, resulting in an impermissible gift, in violation of federal law and House rules. III. CONCLUSION 97. The OCE Board recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review the allegation, as there is substantial reason to believe that Representative Roskam accepted payment of travel expenses for an officially connected trip to Taiwan from an impermissible source, resulting in an impermissible gift, in violation of federal law and House rules.

Report on Rep. Peter Roskam


Report on Rep. Peter Roskam

Of course it is much easier just to say that Roskam's case was later dropped, than to explain that the case was sent to the House Ethics Committee for further review.

Which is why just about everyone is doing it these days. Fake news is much easier to produce than the real thing!