'I just thought it was a bit funny,' Chinedu told Newsweek.
Numerous tweets accusing the account of being run by Smith surfaced on Sunday, garnering tens of thousands of likes and retweets. The conspiracy started after user @FeralHogs420 posted several screenshots from @easychinedu—described in his bio as a"Buttigieg supporter from Nigeria" who likes"wine and dancing"—which indicated that the handle was Smith's burner account.
"It's not all Bernie supporters," he added."There's a vocal minority of Bernie Bros that are very loud and prominent."Because of this, Chinedu has asked to be only referred to by his first name in this article. He said his world has been"turned upside down" Sunday and urged Twitter users to stop trying to track down his details.
One particular tweet from @easychinedu dated January 30 gave the conspiracy theory legs:"Team Pete. Hey. It's Lis. It's Phase 4. Time to leave it all on the floor. Phone bankers, we need you.""Phase 1 was him getting himself known. Phase 2 was funding and phase 3 was building a grassroots organization. Phase 4 was getting the word out. Lis was pretty much the originator who pushed this," Chinedu said.
"I started following Pete from January last year when he launched his exploratory committee," he said."I listened to an interview and video on YouTube and I found him very impressive. I felt like he had a lot of depth, a very interesting candidate. He's a gifted communicator, intelligent, has the right profile, he comes from the midwest."
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lis Smith, Buttigieg adviser, accused of running fake Nigerian account - Business InsiderTwitter users noted that the account tweeted 'Team Pete. Hey. It's Lis,' in January, raising suspicion that the tweet could have been an accident.
Read more »
Lis Smith, Buttigieg adviser, accused of running fake Nigerian account - Business InsiderTwitter users noted that the account tweeted 'Team Pete. Hey. It's Lis,' in January, raising suspicion that the tweet could have been an accident.
Read more »
Pete Buttigieg private fundraiser interrupted by protest from 'Queers Against Pete'Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's private fundraiser in San Francisco was interrupted by protesters from the activist group 'Queers Against Pete' who voiced their disapproval with Buttigieg's moderate policies.
Read more »
Not one S&P 500 CEO is donating to Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth WarrenWhile the moderate 2020 Democrats finished behind Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, presidential hopefuls Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden are...
Read more »
Watch Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer Get Stumped on Name of Mexico's PresidentWatch Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer get stumped on name of Mexico’s president
Read more »
Klobuchar, Steyer are stumped on Mexican president’s nameAmy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer were unable to name Mexico’s president during a Nevada candidate forum
Read more »