Opening statements have begun in the federal trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, accused of helping convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein procure underage girls for sexual abuse.
An array of social media claims, however, have questioned the level of transparency the trial will have. USA TODAY previously reported that cameras and recording devices will not be allowed during Maxwell's trial since those are barred from federal courtrooms.
False claims are now circulating on Facebook that the public can dial in to the trial.
"Federal cases are not televised," reads text of the Facebook post shared on Nov. 27. Use this phone number, 844 721 7237. Access code 9991787."
The user adds that the number would be effective starting Nov. 29, the first day of Maxwell's trial.
The post generated close to 1000 shares in less than three days.
But the phone number doesn't work. And the claim is false.
There is no number allowing the general public telephone access to the proceedings, according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York. The number and access code in the Facebook post, which comes from an October telephone conference related to the case, have expired.
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Independent fact-checking organizations debunked similar claims that arose before the start of the trial.
USA TODAY reached...
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