Church paying members to create right-wing sockpuppets?

A phony Internet identity that's used to deceive is called a sockpuppet. We've all seen them, but we might not always detect them. They praise or criticize other Internetters - perhaps other people or organizations - while they pose under a false identity. I've never seen a sockpuppet last long before they disappear or are caught - but they succeed at stage-managing public opinion.

Here's a secret: A significant number of right-wing comments on news websites are from sockpuppets. It's been like this for years. But I've overheard things that are even more disturbing, and I'm pretty sure a local church is paying congregants to create right-wing sockpuppets to flood website comment pages with extremist vitriol and shout down dissenters.

I'm not 100% sure - and that's why I'm not naming the church - but I'm maybe 95% sure. I didn't hear anyone specifically state this, but I've put two and two together. I'm not stupid.

I can understand why someone might be eager to earn a little extra dough this way, but odds are, they'll get caught eventually. If the church keeps this up, it too will be caught - and it could get in some real trouble with the IRS. If the Trump regime refuses to enforce the IRS regulation on this, I will expose the church.

Why am I posting about this here? I just thought you might like to know what some of our checkbook clergy have been up to. And make no mistake, they are checkbook clergy. I don't care what anyone else says.