The “Black Insurgent” was actually white. The deception didn’t end there

WASHINGTON (AP) — The “Black Insurgent,” the anonymous social media figure behind some of the most widespread conspiracy theories about the 2024 election, may be linked to a man from upstate New York. He is white.

With a profile picture of a black soldier and the slogan “RETURN TO THE TRUE PATRIOTS,” the X platform amassed over 300,000 followers while posting questionable claims about the vice president Kamala Harris and her running mate, the governor of Minnesota. Tim Walz. Some of them were strengthened by the former president Donald Trumphis running mate, the Ohio Sen. JD Vanceand Republican allies in Congress. Some of the most salacious claims were made in the final weeks of the campaign.

Last month, the account posted a statement that Black Insurgent claimed was an ABC News employee’s statement accusing Harris of questions ahead of the network’s debate with Trump, which ABC News vigorously disputed. Trump, however, agreed, declaring, “I love this person.” Recently, the Black Insurrectionist organization published a baseless claim alleging inappropriate behavior by Walz as a student decades ago. It’s a lie that U.S. intelligence officials say has its roots in a Russian disinformation campaign.

The reach that the Black Insurgent coverage has achieved thanks to the support of Trump and his allies shows how easily unverified information from questionable sources can leak onto the Internet, shaping public opinion. The speed and scale of disinformation has been an animating force in the presidential campaign that could influence the outcome of a close election.

The Black Insurgent’s account is directly tied to Jason G. Palmer, who has his own questionable history, starting with the fact that he is not Black, according to an Associated Press review of public records, open source data and interviews with the half-human. a dozen people who had close contact with Palmer over the past two decades. Files and personal accounts show that he is a person who has been repeatedly accused of defrauding business partners and lenders, is struggling with drug addiction, and was burglarized by the FBI over a decade ago. He also owes the state more than $6.7 million in back taxes.

“He’s a far cry from African-American,” said Kathleen Albano, who said her late husband was involved in a failed business venture with Palmer.

In emails and phone calls, Palmer, 51, made a series of seemingly contradictory claims about his involvement with the account, which was deactivated last week hours after the AP first reached out to Palmer for comment.

In the email, he admitted he was involved with the account but said he had not created it. He also claimed to have owned it before selling it in April or May to a person whose identity he declined to identify.

“I don’t know what’s going on with this account,” Palmer wrote in an email last Thursday.

However, in an interview Tuesday, he said he was involved in claims about Walz that were posted to the account this month. And he suggested that he work as a “researcher” in a larger group.

“We did it with big people. To the nation,” Palmer said. “I have no comment on anything else in this case.”

He also said the account was operated primarily by a friend of his who is Black. He repeatedly refused to identify the person and was not contacted by the AP.

A spokesman for X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, did not respond to a request for comment.

The AP linked the account to Palmer based on Black Insurrectionist posts that included biographical details about life in upstate New York, a nickname and an email address. This data was cross-referenced with information available online that linked the account to Palmer.

A video posted in March by Black Insurrectionist shows a computer screen displaying Trump’s Georgia election case files. His initials “JP” are visible in the icon on the web browser toolbar. Palmer’s email address can be seen in the corner of the screen, indicating he used it to log into the state’s online court system.

According to open source data provider Osint, the email address is associated with a phone number. Industries, listed as Palmer in New York court records. According to open source data provider Epieos, the same email address is also associated with a Skype account with the username “jg palmrt.” Palmer’s middle initial is “G”.

Court records show Palmer has also used similar versions of the email address in the past.

A separate post by Black Insurgents on Platform X from January 2024 complained about Microsoft Network’s content moderation policies and included a screenshot revealing that an individual with the username “jg palmrt” posted a comment on a message censored by MSN.

The suggestion that Palmer was associated with an account spreading lies about the upcoming election came as no surprise to people who had business and personal dealings with Palmer over the past two decades.

“He owes me a lot of money,” said Albano, whose late husband did business with Palmer. “He can lure people. I always had his number. I knew exactly who he was. But unfortunately my husband got involved in many such matters.”

Albano said Palmer purchased Webster’s New York home from her and her husband but did not make the payment. She said Palmer talked her husband into an investment venture to get the money back, which also ended poorly.

“None of it ever materialized,” Albano said.

Unlike Palmer’s other business partners, Albano said the couple decided not to file a lawsuit because “you can’t get blood from a stone.”

Palmer denied Albano’s account. He said Albano’s late husband was his accountant and that he paid off the mortgage on the house. He denied that they had ever had extensive business dealings.

In the mid-2000s, Palmer began his real estate venture, purchasing commercial properties in downtown Rochester. It ended with a series of lawsuits from creditors and former business partners seeking tens of millions of dollars in unpaid loans and assets. Palmer blamed his troubles with the venture in part on his addiction to opioids at the time.

Court records show that some former business partners alleged that Palmer tried to gain control of the buildings using documents with forged signatures.

In a 2020 case in Oneida County, New York, a forensic examiner conducted a detailed analysis of a document signing an apartment complex to a company in which Palmer had an ownership interest. The specialist concluded that “evidence shows that the signatures and notarial seal” were created “by cutting and pasting or digital manipulation.”

Palmer said he was actually defrauded by his former business partner, William Mendick. The case brought by Palmer was dismissed in 2022.

Maureen Bass, a bankruptcy attorney in Rochester, said she was not surprised by Palmer’s ties to the X account spreading conspiracy theories. Bass represented Wells Fargo in a trade foreclosure case against Palmer and recalled that he once sent her old company a lengthy “manifesto” e-mail in which he accused local government officials of conspiring against him.

“It was crazy. He was a victim of the “Axis of Evil”. The politicians did something to him and took his property,” Bass said. “So it doesn’t surprise me.”

For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.