Right-Winger Jack Posobiec Is Navy Intel Officer

from NBC News

A right-wing activist who brought attention to debunked conspiracy theories — and who gained new prominence when he was retweeted by President Donald Trump this week — is a U.S. naval intelligence officer detailed to a reserve unit, Navy service records show.

John Michael Posobiec III’s security clearance is currently suspended, according to a U.S. official, who did not disclose the reason for the suspension.

Posobiec, who goes by Jack, is a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy Reserves, assigned to Joint Reserve Intelligence Support Element Dekalb. From March 2014 through March 2017 he was assigned to a Reserve Intelligence Unit at Office of Naval Intelligence’s Naval Maritime Intelligence Center in Washington.

During that time frame, Posobiec used his social media accounts to draw attention to false theories, including the rumor that former Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was murdered for leaking emails to Wikileaks.

He also delved into the so-called Pizzagate theory, which posited that Hillary Clinton was running a pedophile ring out of a pizzeria. Shortly after the election, Posobiec visited Comet Pizza and posted a video in which he talked in a seemingly joking way about trying to find out what’s happening in the bathroom…

Although he referred to multiple overseas deployments, his service record shows one: 10 months in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, starting Sept. 11, 2012…

Records show Posobiec enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves on May 25, 2010, and was later commissioned as an officer on Halloween in 2013. He has been a Lieutenant Junior Grade since October 2015.