Paul Horner, a writer of fake news stories that were heavily shared on social media during the 2016 election season, was found dead at the age of 38.
According to CBS News, officials in Arizona's Maricopa County said Horner's body was found in his bed inside his Phoenix home on Sept. 18.
There was no evidence of foul play but investigators said evidence suggested Horner had possibly died of a drug overdose.
Following President Trump's election victory in November, Horner took credit for what many viewed as an upset.
"I think Trump is in the White House because of me," Horner told the Washington Post on Nov. 17. "His followers don't fact-check anything — they'll post everything, believe anything."
One of Horner's fictional stories, claiming a Trump protester was paid to demonstrate, was shared on Twitter by Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager.
Among the fake stories Horner wrote that went viral in 2016 were ones that said former President Obama was gay and a radical Muslim, according to CBS News.
But despite claiming some credit for his victory, Horner was a self-proclaimed hater of Trump who wrote his fictional stories in hopes of "messing with the campaign" and to prove "people are definitely dumber [today]," according to the New York Post.
Clint Davis is a reporter for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis. Keep up to date with the latest news by following @ScrippsNational on Twitter.
