No kidding. It's been used that way for a very long time now in North America, whether or not it had any actual relevance to the matter at hand. It's among the most convenient possible ways of raising a whole lot of outrage that just will not go away, ruining someone's career, forcing them to defend themselves against something they cannot possibly disprove (rather as the accusation of witchcraft was once used to dispose of one's enemies), and/or causing a miscarriage of justice in some cases.