The VP of Pfizer Was Not Arrested

9th May 2022

The claim was originally shared as a satire (Twitter).

The Claim

After releasing documents related to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, Rady Johnson, the executive vice president of Pfizer Inc., was arrested.

News posted on

Emerging story

Social media users have widely circulated a claim reporting that Rady Johnson, the executive vice president of Pfizer Inc., was arrested.

Pfizer's Exec VP was Arrested at his home on multiple counts of fraud. A judge ordered media blackout😳
Pfizer's Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance, Quality, and Risk Officer Rady Johnson is in charge of the company's global compliance program
— Alix (@AlixG_2) May 7, 2022

According to some users, this is following the release of a Pfizer document which proves that the Pfizer vaccines are not safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be satirical.

Misbar had previously debunked the claims surrounding the Pfizer document. Moreover, no reliable news outlet reported the arrest of Pfizer’s VP.

After conducting research, Misbar’s team found the origins of the claim to be satirical.

Vancouver Times

Vancouver Times published an article on May 6, 2022, which claimed that Rady Johnson, the executive vice president of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc., had been arrested and charged with fraud.

Photo Description: The origins of the claim are satirical.

Vancouver Times describes itself as "the West Coast's most trusted source for satire." We satirize conservative issues. We're not affiliated with mainstream media (CBC, CTV, etc.), so any similarities between our content and theirs are coincidental.

Although the website clearly emphasizes that its content is satirical, the claim sparked the spread of misinformation regarding the arrest of Pfizer’s VP.

Misbar has previously debunked several claims related to Pfizer, and claims related to satirical content from Vancouver Times.