In Blow To Fringe Right Theory, DOJ Official Won’t Testify In Front Of House Oversight

To the great disappointment of the believers of a far-right conspiracy theory about a coming crackdown on a Democratic pedophilia ring, U.S. Attorney John Huber won’t testify at a House Oversight subcommittee hearing Thursday, as the subcommittee’s chair, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) had initially hyped.

Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupic said that Huber wouldn’t be appearing at the hearing — which will focus on how the DOJ is handling allegations against the Clinton Foundation — “[c]onsistent with conversations between the Department and the committee.”

Huber is the Utah-based U.S. attorney who was tasked by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to work with the Justice Department Inspector General to look at an assortment of anti-FBI claims being pushed by the GOP. Sessions was facing pressure from the right at the time to appoint a second special counsel. Meadows said he called this week’s hearing to get an update on the progress of that effort.

However, Huber has also developed a myth-like status among believers of a conspiracy theory known as “QAnon.” The theory suggests that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation is merely a guise for a massive probe into a Democratic-linked sex trafficking operation that is quietly being prosecuted under President Trump. “Q” is supposedly a federal government insider — who posts as “Q Clearance Patriot” on 4chan — leaving breadcrumbs about the prosecution. (Q is a reference to a Q-level security clearance.)

Where Huber fits in is with unfounded speculation by QAnon types that he’s helping with this investigation and that there are thousands of sealed indictments that are connected to the effort to bring down the federal government’s Democratic Deep State.

The announcement last month by Meadows that he was bringing Huber in to testify thus prompted excitement by the QAnon community. Their hopes that Huber might finally give some public insight into the supposed operation to dismantle the Democratic cabal came crashing down on Wednesday when TPM reported that he would not be appearing.

December 5, the day the hearing was originally scheduled, was known as “D5” in the QAnon community, and believers hoped it would be the beginning of a wave of revelations, indictments and arrests of Trump’s political enemies.

When the hearing was postponed due to the late President George H.W. Bush’s funeral, the delay spawned a whole new set of conspiracy theories about an impending take down.

So far, the big QAnon news is that one of the buses at the Bush service said “D5” on it. QAnon believers are convinced everyone on the bus will be arrested in Trump’s purge. pic.twitter.com/Gl9vBEMMCL

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) December 5, 2018

Today is a big day for QAnon world. Believers are convinced that December 5 or “#D5” is the day Trump will arrest all his deep-state foes and make their dreams come true. So far, though, this hasn’t happened. pic.twitter.com/KKkEQuTq2q

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) December 5, 2018

QAnon believers are convinced that the wrinkles on the flag draped over George HW Bush’s coffin are a secret signal that he was a traitor. pic.twitter.com/lON0NpsBsh

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) December 4, 2018

Needless to say, they didn’t take Wednesday’s news that Huber wouldn’t be appearing at the hearing at all very well.

All the WTFs ??‍♂️

— NationalistCajunQ (@MyAchingNuts) December 12, 2018

You work for Talking Points Memo. Left-leaning disinformation is your literal job. Why would we believe you or an unnamed nonexistent source?

— EyeTheSpy (@RealEyeTheSpy) December 12, 2018

Just saw this. Please tell me it’s wrong.https://t.co/yJUEADn987

— KiwiAnon (@Gr3at_Awakening) December 12, 2018