A post shared on Threads claims UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was purportedly set to testify against Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for insider trading ahead of his recent death.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. A spokesperson for Pelosi denied the claim’s validity to USA Today.
Fact Check:
UnitedHealthGroup CEO Andrew Witty said he “understands people’s frustrations with the [U.S. healthcare system]” in a New York Times opinion piece referring to Thompson’s death, according to CNBC. Witty also said the system needs reform, the outlet reported.
The Threads post, which has received over 600 likes as of writing, claims Thompson was purportedly set to testify against Pelosi for insider trading ahead of his recent death.
“BREAKING: Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was set to testify against Nancy Pelosi for insider trading,” the post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, reads.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact found no reference to the claim on Pelosi’s website or her verified social media accounts.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Dec. 12, USA Today debunked the claim. Ian Krager, a spokesperson for Pelosi, confirmed the claim was false via email, the outlet reported.
Although the claim made via the Threads post is false, Thompson was reportedly being investigated by the Department of Justice for insider trading prior to his death, according to the New York Post. Thompson sold shares worth $15.1 million ahead of the investigation being opened. In addition, Thompson and three other UnitedHealth Group employees “sold a combined $101.5 million in shares,” the outlet reported.
Thompson was shot and killed in New York City on Dec. 4 while en route to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference, The Associated Press indicated. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Maryland native, was recently arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania in connection with Thompson’s death. (RELATED: Did Burger King Troll McDonald’s By Posting ‘We Don’t Snitch?’)
Check Your Fact has contacted Pelosi’s office for comment.