Short answer: The DOJ did not convene a Logan Act grand jury to investigate Governor Gavin Newsom after his trip to a climate conference in Brazil. The claim came from a Nov. 12, 2025 Facebook post that quoted a fictional 'US Attorney Joe Barron' and appeared on a page that openly publishes satire. Searches of government sites and mainstream news outlets found no evidence of any DOJ investigation. The story traces back to America's Last Line of Defense, a network known for fabricated, provocative content.
False: DOJ Did Not Convene a Logan Act Grand Jury to Investigate Gavin Newsom After Brazil Trip
Short answer: The DOJ did not convene a Logan Act grand jury to investigate Governor Gavin Newsom after his trip to a climate conference in Brazil. The claim came from a Nov. 12, 2025 Facebook post that quoted a fictional 'US Attorney Joe Barron' and appeared on a page that openly publishes satire. Searches of government sites and mainstream news outlets found no evidence of any DOJ investigation. The story traces back to America's Last Line of Defense, a network known for fabricated, provocative content.
08:06 AM, 11/14/2025Politics
Fact check: DOJ did not open a Logan Act grand jury probe into Gavin Newsom after his Brazil climate trip
Short answer: No. The U.S. Department of Justice did not convene a grand jury to investigate California Governor Gavin Newsom for alleged violations of the Logan Act after his trip to a climate conference in Brazil.
The claim originated in a Facebook post published on November 12, 2025, which quoted a supposed 'US Attorney for North-Central California Joe Barron' saying the Justice Department had 'called a grand jury to [look into] evidence of Logan Act violations against Gavin Newsom.' The post included an image of Newsom and inflammatory language calling the event a 'Climate Hoax conference.'
The Logan Act is a federal statute that prohibits private citizens from conducting negotiations with foreign governments in ways that conflict with official U.S. policy. That law is rarely used and any credible inquiry would be reported by official DOJ channels and mainstream news outlets.
Checks of government websites, public records and major news databases found no evidence that the named U.S. attorney exists or that any grand jury was convened. 'Joe Barron' is a recurring fictional character used in satirical posts by the network behind the Facebook page.
About the publisher: the page is part of America's Last Line of Defense (ALLOD), a network that openly publishes satire and made-up stories designed to provoke reactions. Its own about pages and post disclaimers explicitly state that its content is fictional.
ALLOD and its operator, self-described troll Christopher Blair (aka 'Busta Troll'), produce fabricated stories that mimic news formats. Fact-checkers have repeatedly documented that 'Joe Barron' is a made-up source appearing across multiple parody pieces in different fictional roles.
Some sites copy ALLOD articles but remove the satire disclaimers, which can cause false stories to spread as if they were real. In this case, no credible news organization or official DOJ source has reported a Logan Act grand jury regarding Newsom's Brazil trip.
Bottom line: The claim is false. It began on a satirical page and is not supported by government records or reputable news reporting. When you see dramatic legal claims online, check official DOJ announcements and established news organizations before sharing.