Fox News Corrects Story Claiming Roy Moore Accuser ‘Forged’ Candidate’s Signature

A handwriting expert has verified that the woman’s yearbook signature belongs to Senate candidate Moore, according to Gloria Allred.

By Sara Boboltz

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Fox News updated a story that erroneously claimed one of Roy Moore’s accusers had “forged” evidence she’d presented to bolster her claim against him. 

Beverly Young Nelson said in a press conference with attorney Gloria Allred in November that the Republican Alabama Senate candidate had sexually assaulted her in the late 1970s when she was a teen and he was in his 30s. Nelson produced a yearbook signed by Moore last month as proof he had known her.

In a Friday press conference, Allred said Nelson had noted beneath the inscription when and where she recalled Moore writing it. Nelson also confirmed she had made the notes during an interview with ABC’s Tom Llamas.

“Beverly, he signed your yearbook,” Llamas stated.

“He did sign it,” Nelson affirmed.

“And you made some notes underneath,” he continued.

“Yes,” she said.

In response, Fox News ran a headline Friday stating: “Roy Moore accuser admits she forged part of yearbook inscription attributed to Alabama Senate candidate,” according to the Internet Archive, which preserves websites. The Fox headline echoed alt-right websites The Gateway Pundit and Breitbart, which ran with “Gloria Allred Accuser **ADMITS** She Tampered With Roy Moore’s Yearbook ‘Signature’” and “Roy Moore Accuser Beverly Nelson Admits She Forged Yearbook,” respectively.

Moore shared a tweet from Fox containing the misleading headline; however, while Fox has since deleted its tweet, Moore has not deleted his. President Trump also seized on the yearbook comments to attack Nelson at a Florida rally.

Fox’s headline has now been updated to “Roy Moore accuser admits she wrote part of yearbook inscription attributed to Alabama Senate candidate,” although the URL of the story still contains the previous language. 

Good Morning America✔@GMA

EXCLUSIVE: Beverly Young Nelson, Roy Moore accuser, speaks out as Alabama Senate race vote draws near: http://abcn.ws/2k9xpsj 

6:18 AM - Dec 8, 2017

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References to forgery in the original story were also removed, and a note was added to the bottom for clarification. 

An update to this story reflects that Beverly Young Nelson admits writing what ABC News characterized as “notes” beneath what she says is Roy Moore’s signature, and that the only notes below the signature are the date and location. Furthermore, the headline on story now specifies that Nelson admits to writing part of the inscription herself, rather than forging part of it.  

Allred said Friday that a handwriting expert had verified the signature and inscription in Nelson’s yearbook belonged to Moore.

“To a sweeter, more beautiful girl, I could not say ‘Merry Christmas.’ Love, Roy Moore D.A.,” the note read.

Last month, attorneys for the embattled candidate implied the yearbook signature was not his and called for an expert to analyze it.

Moore has repeatedly attempted to discredit the women accusing him of sexual harassment and assault, maintaining that they are lying. One woman said she was just 14 when Moore, then in his 30s, allegedly groped her.

He is currently running against Democratic candidate Doug Jones to fill the Senate seat left by Jeff Sessions, whom Trump named attorney general. The election will be held Dec. 12.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fox-news-corrects-story-claiming-roy-moore-accuser-forged-candidates-signature_us_5a2c1d58e4b0a290f051304f