Tafari Campbell’s drowning death was accidental, he wasn’t murdered, according to medical examiner
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- Tafari Campbell’s drowning death was ruled accidental.
“Why was Tafari Campbell murdered?” asks an Aug. 25 Facebook post that plumbs conspiracy theories, including that former President Barack Obama was responsible for the July 23 death of Campbell, his family’s personal chef.
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
We’ve previously debunked several claims about Campbell, including that his mother spoke out to expose the Obamas; that his wife blamed Obama for her husband’s death; and that before he died, Campbell said he had information that would lead to Obama’s arrest.
Campbell wasn’t murdered, officials said. And state police have said Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama weren’t home when Campbell was seen struggling in the water July 23 while paddleboarding near the Obamas’ Martha’s Vineyard home off the Massachusetts coast.
The Massachusetts chief medical examiner ruled Campbell’s drowning death accidental.
We rate claims he was murdered False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Aug. 25, 2023
PolitiFact, Fact-checking conspiracy theories about death of Obamas’ personal chef, Aug. 2, 2023
The New York Times, Drowning Death of Obama Family Chef Is Ruled an Accident, Aug. 22, 2023
