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286
5
While I was working on those streets watching those folks see their jobs shift overseas, you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart.
January 21, 2008
candidate biography
barack obama
Barack Obama is the former president of the United States. Obama also served as a U.S. senator from Illinois. He was born in 1961 in Hawaii, where his parents met as students at the University of Hawaii. Obama's father is from Kenya and his mother is from Kansas. He graduated from Columbia University and received his l...
national
124
165
163
71
71
9
Myrtle Beach, S.C
She was appointed to the board in 1986 when her husband was the governor of Arkansas and she served until 1992. As a board member, Clinton pushed for more women in management and a better environmental program, according to a New York Times examination of her work on the board. At the time, she worked as an attorney fo...
14,696
3
Says Marsha Blackburn "voted against military pay raise.
May 31, 2018
military
tennessee democratic party
The Tennessee Democratic Party headquarters are in Nashville.
national
2
2
1
1
1
0
an email from the Tennessee Democratic Party
The Tennessee Democratic Party said that Blackburn voted against a military pay increase. Blackburn did vote no on a $1.3 trillion appropriations bill that increased pay for members of the armed forces by 2.4 percent. However, over many years, Blackburn has a consistent track record of voting in favor of pay raises for...
12,511
1
If you give guns to gangs, you can get out of jail free, if (California's Proposition 57) passes. If you do a drive-by shooting, you can get out of jail free, if Proposition 57 passes. If you discharge guns on a school yard, you can get out of jail free.
October 5, 2016
criminal justice;crime
loretta sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is a Democratic member of Congress who represents California's 47th district, an area that includes parts of Anaheim, Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
california
1
0
1
0
1
1
a U.S. Senate campaign debate
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez claimed in a U.S. Senate campaign debtate that: "If you give guns to gangs, you can get out of jail free, if (California’s Prop 57) passes. If you do a driveby shooting, you can get out of jail free, if this proposition passes. If you discharge guns on a school yard, you can get out of jai...
11,050
2
Says 25 percent of U.S. Muslims "agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad.
December 7, 2015
islam;polls and public opinion;religion;terrorism
donald trump
Donald Trump is the former president of the United States. He was elected the 45th president of the United States on Nov. 8, 2016.  He has been a real estate developer, entrepreneur and host of the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice." Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015, 2017 and 2019 Lie of the Year. In N...
national
36
85
120
194
360
179
a campaign statement
Trump said that 25 percent of U.S. Muslims "agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad." Trump is referring to a poll conducted by the Center for Security Policy. However, polling experts raise numerous questions about the validity of the poll’s results, ...
12,194
5
California is home to the largest death row population in the Western Hemisphere.
August 1, 2016
death penalty;elections
yes on 62 campaign to abolish california's death penalty
Yes On 62 is the campaign to abolish California's death penalty
california
1
0
0
0
0
0
a twitter image
The Yes On 62 campaign to abolish the death penalty said "California is home to the largest death row population in the Western Hemisphere." Death penalty experts and public data show California has nearly 750 people condemned to die. That’s nearly twice as many as the next closest state or country, Florida at 388, in ...
6,166
3
Says our national debt is greater than our gross domestic product.
August 28, 2012
debt;economy
ted cruz
Ted Cruz is a U.S. Senator from Texas, first elected in 2012. Cruz also was a candidate for president of the United States in 2016. He is the former solicitor general for the state of Texas, previously serving as the director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission, an Associate Deputy Attorney...
texas
8
22
21
48
47
11
Tampa, Florida
The total federal debt exceeds the nation’s economic output or GDP. However, the public debt -- borrowing that relates to the economy’s strength -- hovers below three quarters of the GDP. We rate this as .
1,944
1
Obama's dog has his "own plane
July 17, 2010
transportation
bloggers
Blog posting on the Internet
national
8
18
24
53
233
396
conservative blogs
Bo does not even require his own seat, and during the Maine trip he traveled on a government-owned plane with White House staff. We figured that at least some of the bloggers were being satirical, but from our review of reader comments that followed many of the entries, it's pretty clear that there are those who actual...
15,070
3
Puerto Rico's electric grid and their electric generating plant was dead before the storms ever hit. It was in very bad shape. It was in bankruptcy. It had no money. It was largely -- you know, it was largely closed.
September 11, 2018
climate change;corrections and updates;energy
donald trump
Donald Trump is the former president of the United States. He was elected the 45th president of the United States on Nov. 8, 2016.  He has been a real estate developer, entrepreneur and host of the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice." Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015, 2017 and 2019 Lie of the Year. In N...
national
36
85
120
194
360
179
press conference
Trump said "Puerto Rico’s electric grid and their electric generating plant was dead before the storms ever hit. It was in very bad shape. It was in bankruptcy. It had no money. It was largely -- you know, it was largely closed." Some electric generating plants, not the majority, were inoperative before the storm hit d...
11,811
5
The 2015 Legislature "passed the fewest laws in 20 years.
May 12, 2016
states
greg abbott
Greg Abbott won election as governor of Texas in November 2014, carrying 59 percent of the vote. Abbott was re-elected in 2018. Abbott, a former member of the Texas Supreme Court, served three terms as the state's attorney general before being succeeded by Ken Paxton in early 2015.
texas
15
13
13
19
15
6
Dallas
Abbott said the 2015 Legislature "passed the fewest laws in 20 years." So it did, making this statement . – The statement is accurate and there’s nothing significant missing. Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check. https://www.sharethefacts.co/share/567f3a21-93ae-4f1d-a211-9...
16,673
4
President Trump has lifted the prospect of voters across Vermont, overseeing a 11,742 decline of Vermont residents on food stamps.
November 4, 2019
welfare
donald trump
Donald Trump is the former president of the United States. He was elected the 45th president of the United States on Nov. 8, 2016.  He has been a real estate developer, entrepreneur and host of the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice." Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015, 2017 and 2019 Lie of the Year. In N...
vermont
36
85
120
194
360
179
a campaign email to Vermont media
But while he may have overseen a decline of Vermonters using the program, the trend has been occurring for years, since the state rebounded from the Great Recession.  It’s that the economy has remained strong under Trump’s presidency. But the steady drop in demand for food stamps had started long before he took offic...
19,578
1
A serial killer is targeting women in Hot Springs, Ark.
April 11, 2021
crime;facebook fact-checks
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
null
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
a Facebook post
"This case is an isolated incident involving only one victim," Picavet said.  In its own statement released on April 13, the FBI said "there is a strong possibility the person who did this continues to work and/or live in our community." Searching online for to support the that there are more homicide victims we fou...
12,540
2
Says Syrian refugees are not being vetted, and "the FBI is not even being told where they are.
October 11, 2016
immigration;debates;foreign policy;public safety;terrorism
pat mccrory
Pat McCrory, a Republican, was governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. Previously, he served as mayor of Charlotte.
north carolina
1
0
4
8
2
1
a North Carolina governor's race debate
McCrory said Syrian refugees aren’t being vetted and that the FBI doesn’t know where they are. The vetting process has faced criticism, but it does exist –  leading to the rejection of thousands of applicants and, in many cases, taking more than two years for those who are approved. There are also extensive records of ...
5,005
4
United States of America is twenty-sixth in school performance in the world.
January 9, 2012
education
jim whelan
State Sen. Jim Whelan is a Democrat from Atlantic County.
new jersey
0
1
2
0
0
0
a speech on the state Senate floor
During a debate on the Senate floor, Whelan claimed the "United States of America is twenty-sixth in school performance in the world." Based on the most recent international assessments, the senator’s statistic is on target. After averaging out the mean scores in reading, math and science, the United States ranks 26 ou...
20,497
2
Social media posts suggest a CDC graph shows the COVID-19 vaccine is harmful to children and that California's school vaccine mandate is dangerous.
October 10, 2021
public health;facebook fact-checks;coronavirus
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
california
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
a Facebook post
Experts say COVID-19 vaccinations are tested rigorously and monitored as they are released to the public. Furthermore, scientific studies of thousands of children have determined that serious adverse events after vaccination are rare and that vaccinations are effective against COVID-19. While the graph is a real repres...
1,512
2
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the IRS would need to hire over 16,000 people ... to audit the American people and impose the new taxes and mandates" of the health care bill.
March 21, 2010
federal budget;health care;taxes
mark kirk
Mark Kirk is a U.S. senator from Illinois, having defeated Democratic State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for the seat formerly occupied by President Barack Obama in 2010. Kirk was formerly a U.S. congressman from Illinois’ 10th district.
national
0
0
2
2
1
0
the House
And for this item, we will assume that the Ways and Means' Republicans' methodology is credible, since we were not able to find any expert who argued otherwise. Finally, Kirk is hardly alone in ignoring the caveats to the 16,500 figure -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., to just cite one example, said in a March 25, 2010, flo...
3,876
1
Says that under City Council Member Randi Shade, Austin had the "highest city debt per person in Texas.
June 18, 2011
city budget;city government
better austin today
Better Austin Today Political Action Committee, or BATPAC, founded in 2007, calls itself a progressive coalition for Austin.
texas
0
0
0
1
1
0
a campaign mailer
Our take? Taking into account all debts linked to the city, including revenue-backed debt, Austin didn’t rank first among Texas cities. And by a fairer comparison--focused on debts funded from property taxes--Austin landed way short of tops in Texas. Also, the statement’s laying of responsibility for the debt ranking o...
16,596
1
Says Donald Trump "will not be profiting" from the G-7 summit meeting to be held at Trump's Doral resort.
October 17, 2019
candidate biography;income
mick mulvaney
In December 2018, President Donald Trump named Mick Mulvaney as his acting chief of staff. In 2017, Trump nominated Mulvaney to direct the Office of Management and Budget, and he was confirmed shortly after. Before, he served as the new U.S. Congressman for South Carolina's 5th District from 2010-2017. Mulvaney grew up...
national
0
0
2
5
1
0
a news conference
Mulvaney said Trump "will not be profiting" from the G-7 summit meeting to be held at Trump’s Doral resort. The acting White House chief of staff says the Miami-area resort will host the gathering "at cost." But the White House did not explain how that would work. Moreover, the summit is a one-of-a-kind event, attracti...
3,737
1
Says Gov. Chris Christie's decision to close the Elizabeth MVC "saved no money.
May 17, 2011
state budget
joseph cryan
Joseph Cryan is a Democratic state Assemblyman representing parts of Union County. He previously served as the Assembly Majority Leader and the chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
new jersey
1
0
0
1
1
0
a press release
Returning to Cryan’s comment about a lack of savings, let’s review. Cryan said "no money" has been saved. While there is some question about the actual amount, the correspondence indicates there's no question that there have been substantial savings from the reductions in rent and the elimination of 43 jobs. We rate th...
7,286
4
Just about everyone everywhere is spending more hours on the job, less time with their families, bringing home smaller and smaller paychecks, while they're paying more and more at the gas pump and the grocery stores.
April 24, 2013
economy;income;jobs;labor;workers
ed fitzgerald
Ed FitzGerald is Cuyahoga County's first county executive. He took office in January 2011 when a charter form of county government took affect. Prior to his election as county executive, he was mayor in the city of Lakewood. He also has been a congressional staff member, an FBI special agent, a practicing lawyer and as...
ohio
1
1
0
1
1
0
a campaign speech
We did not assign credit to Kasich for his statement in March that Ohioans' wages have risen by more than $10 billion since 2010. But we rated the statement as . We can't rate FitzGerald's linking of Kasich to his statement about people spending more hours on the job and bringing home smaller paychecks. But his stateme...
18,703
1
The daughter of Sen. Coons (D-DE), along with 7 other underaged girls are featured on Hunter's laptop! - Breitbart News
October 24, 2020
facebook fact-checks
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
national
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
a text post
The Facebook posts say, "The daughter of Sen. Coons (D-DE), along with 7 other underaged girls are featured on Hunter's laptop!" The posts are attributed to Breitbart, but the conservative news and opinion site did not publish such an allegation. A U.S. Senate candidate, running against Coons, repeated this in an inte...
865
1
No Bridge to Nowhere could occur.
March 8, 2009
federal budget
charles schumer
Charles Schumer is a Democratic senator from New York and the Senate majority leader.
national
3
7
5
5
5
1
a TV interview
It's a matter of opinion. And there are no rules in place today that would prevent a legislator from proposing an earmark that he or she deems worthwhile but that others deem wasteful. So we very well could have more Bridges to Nowhere, which makes Schumer's statement . Update: An earlier version of this story incorrec...
17,002
1
Vice President Biden threatened a foreign country and forced them to fire a prosecutor who was investigating a company," that paid his son Hunter.
January 29, 2020
ethics;impeachment;foreign policy
rick scott
Rick Scott, a wealthy Florida businessman, was first elected Florida's 45th governor on Nov. 2, 2010 and re-elected Nov. 4, 2014. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018 and is running for re-election in 2024.
florida
15
36
42
42
38
8
Iowa
Scott said, "Vice President Biden threatened a foreign country and forced them to fire a prosecutor who was investigating a company paying his son $83,000 a month." There is no that Biden’s call for Ukraine to fire the prosecutor general was because of his son’s position with Burisma and an investigation. Western lead...
22,436
1
This video shows Chuck Grassley demanding Joe Biden's "resignation.
December 7, 2022
facebook fact-checks
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
iowa
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
a Facebook post
Grassley in the video doesn’t call for Biden’s resignation, he alluded to Biden only when he said the "Biden Justice Department." Grassley discussed the president’s son, Hunter Biden, but not in connection to the 2020 presidential election, as this post suggested. Grassley was criticizing the FBI for not investigating ...
9,145
3
Brookhaven homeowners pay hundreds of dollars less in property taxes compared with owners of the same-value homes in unincorporated DeKalb County.
July 21, 2014
taxes
brookhaven
Brookhaven is a city of about 50,000 people in north-central DeKalb County. It is Georgia's newest city, having come into existance in December 2012.
georgia
0
0
1
0
0
0
a city mailer
Add in the fact that Brookhaven residents pay $12 more in stormwater fees than those in unincorporated DeKalb, and the final savings is less than $50 and $100, respectively, DeKalb Deputy Tax Commissioner Robert Goodman said. "On the face of it, to say your property tax bill will be lower in Brookhaven is correct, but ...
741
1
We're building a nearly $40-billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America's largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever.
October 2, 2008
energy
sarah palin
Sarah Palin was the Republican nominee for vice president in 2008. She is also the former governor of Alaska and the author of  Going Rogue: An American Life. Sarah Palin's previous experience includes leading the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and serving as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.
national
14
6
9
9
21
6
St. Louis, Mo
The Alaska Pipeline was completed in 1977 at a cost of $8-billion. In 2007 dollars that would be just over $27-billion, edging out Palin's proposed natural gas pipeline. While there are plans on the drawing board to build a pipeline, and Palin moved them forward in certain respects as governor, her in the debate sugge...
18,800
1
An image shows "what appears to be an official ballot box being taken away from a polling location by an unidentified civilian.
November 3, 2020
facebook fact-checks
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
pennsylvania
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
a Facebook post
The Facebook post stated that an image shows "what appears to be an official ballot box being taken away from a polling location by an unidentified civilian." The post raises suspicion about the person handling the ballots. In reality, the person in the image was an authorized election official transporting the ballots...
11,640
5
Says he "was the only Republican" to vote against creating a House panel to investigate Planned Parenthood.
April 25, 2016
abortion;congress
david jolly
David Jolly won a special election in March 2014 to represent the 13th U.S. Congressional District in Pinellas County, Florida. He won re-election in 2014 and was defeated by Democrat Charlie Crist in 2016. He is a former Washington lobbyist and aide to C.W. Bill Young.
florida
2
1
1
4
0
0
an Orlando debate
Jolly said he "was the only Republican" to vote against creating a House panel to investigate Planned Parenthood. The reason he voted no, he said, is because the House already had three investigations into Planned Parenthood’s alleged sale of fetal tissue. Jolly made it clear at the time he was not in favor of spending...
5,338
0
Says Texas retained the right to have a navy when it joined the United States.
February 19, 2012
history;military;states
chain email
Chain emails circulate on the Internet, usually anonymously, making a variety of political claims.
texas
6
5
9
11
44
107
an email
We found no that Texas retained the right to its own navy on joining the United States. The email’s central isn’t just , it’s . !
18,604
0
Says Donald Trump said he nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court because she "is much, much better looking than the women we have had.
October 13, 2020
supreme court;facebook fact-checks
viral image
Graphics, pictures and charts shared on social media give chain emails a run for their money when it comes to spreading too-good-to-be-true claims all over the Internet. A common form is is the "Internet macro," which uses an easily recognized and repurposed image (called a meme) wth superimposed text to make a funny b...
null
4
13
35
53
711
331
a Facebook post
He talked about her education, her work experience, her family, and her relationship with the late Justice Antonin Scalia. He didn’t discuss her looks.  The next day, he fielded questions from reporters during a press briefing . The exchange that appears in the Facebook post did not happen there.  We rate this post !
22,811
1
Photo of person holding sign shows the shooter who killed six people at a Nashville, Tennessee, school.
March 28, 2023
lgbtq;facebook fact-checks;guns
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
null
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
a screenshot shared on Facebook
The person shown in the viral photo from the Oklahoma protest has not been identified. claims about the photo circulated as news of Hale’s gender identity emerged and as anti-trans rhetoric intensified. Minutes after police said that the assailant was transgender, #TransTerrorism trended on Twitter, NBC News reported ...
16,971
2
Says Oregon's highest income tax bracket included anyone making more than $250,000 in 2012 before the state expanded its upper bracket to include "anyone making more than $125,000.
January 18, 2020
taxes
bill brady
Bill Brady is the Illinois state senator for the 44th District and Senate Republican leader. He was narrowly defeated as the Republican challenger to Governor Pat Quinn in the 2010 election.
illinois
0
0
0
1
1
0
a speech
Citing Oregon as an example of what Illinois’ future could hold if voters approve Pritzker’s graduated tax plan, Brady said Oregon’s highest income tax bracket included anyone making more than $250,000 in 2012 before the state expanded that top bracket to include "anyone making more than $125,000." In 2010, Oregon vote...
2,290
1
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani "was never sentenced to stoning.
September 19, 2010
human rights;crime;this week - abc news
mahmoud ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the president of Iran.
national
0
0
0
0
2
0
ABC's "This Week"
We are not weighing the issue of Ahtiani's guilt or innocence but whether she was "never sentenced to stoning." We think there's enough -- from previously reported statements from Iranian judicial officials and from court documents provided by Ashtiani's one-time attorney -- to show that stoning was the sentence by th...
12,822
2
Says "tens of thousands of children" were rushed across the southwest border "because they fear the wall.
December 12, 2016
immigration;homeland security;punditfact
geraldo rivera
Geraldo Rivera is a Fox News correspondent.
null
0
0
0
1
0
0
an interview on Fox News' Hannity
Speaking about children crossing the southwest border, Rivera said tens of thousands are coming now "because they fear the wall." About 46,000 people were apprehended at the southwest border in October 2016, the latest data available. But speaking specifically about all unaccompanied children crossing the border, the n...
19,419
2
Tenured professors are guaranteed a job.
February 2, 2021
civil rights;education
iowa gop state legislators
Iowa state representatives
iowa
0
0
0
1
0
0
comments to the press
Tenure is a contractual agreement that protects professors’ abilities to teach, research, and challenge assumptions without fear of termination based on a belief or expression. However, tenured faculty members are reviewed for performance, and undergo a rigorous, years-long process to apply for tenure. Faculty handbook...
144
2
Here's a man who brags about how he made the city safe. It was the Biden crime bill that became the Clinton crime bill that allowed him to do that.
October 30, 2007
crime
joe biden
Joe Biden is the president of the United States. A Democrat, Biden served as a Delaware senator from 1973 (elected at the age of 29) until 2009. During his time in the Senate, he served as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, chair of the International Narcotics Control Caucus and chair of the Judiciary Committee....
national
25
64
65
52
55
7
Philadelphia
"Whether the size of the force produced crime declines at the margins above the secular trend that was underway starting in late '91 is a hard question, but the consensus among social scientists is that the marginal effect is small," Fagan said. Several studies also have failed to show a correlation between Giuliani's ...
1,586
1
Says Crist campaign website "has eliminated all references to our Republican Party.
April 20, 2010
candidate biography
tom grady
Tom Grady is a Republican in the Florida State House from Naples.
florida
0
0
0
0
1
0
an e-mail to Crist
No, there's not a prominent picture of Crist hugging Ronald Reagan on the site, or a big splashy "R" next to Crist's name, but there is still considerable talk about Crist's conservative credentials. It's in his biography, detailed in press releases and on issue statements, and available for viewing on a computer near ...
495
3
John McCain says he never supported the privatization of Social Security, even though video shows he did.
June 13, 2008
social security
democratic national committee
The Democratic National Committee is the national organization of Democrats.
national
7
8
12
9
2
0
a Web ad
On a certain level, the video speaks for itself. If by privatization you mean George Bush's plan, then McCain clearly did favor it. But Bush himself didn't like the term privatization and felt that it was . McCain clearly believes he can offer personal accounts while keeping the rest of Social Security intact and rejec...
20,719
0
Six-month Pfizer data show COVID vaccine causes more illness than it prevents.
December 19, 2021
public health;facebook fact-checks;coronavirus
bloggers
Blog posting on the Internet
null
8
18
24
53
233
396
an article
That is, only 77 cases were detected in vaccine recipients after a second dose, compared with 850 cases in placebo recipients. Of 31 patients who got severe COVID-19, 30 were placebo recipients and one was in the group that received the vaccine. No deaths among people in the study were related to vaccination. The state...
6,699
1
The "error rates" for the Fulton County elections department are "well below the average.
November 7, 2012
elections
emma darnell
Emma Darnell was first elected to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in 1992. Her district includes the western half of the city of Atlanta and portions of south Fulton County.
georgia
0
0
0
0
1
0
a meeting
She declined to provide details to back up her . Research shows Fulton was in the middle among U.S. counties of comparable size when it came to provisional ballots rejected in 2008, the last presidential election. That year, twice as many provisional ballots were cast in Fulton than there were in some of Georgia’s larg...
10,860
1
The word progressive ... was created as a substitute for 'communist'.
October 20, 2015
history;punditfact
jon voight
Jon Voight is an actor.
null
0
0
0
0
1
0
an interview with "Cigar Aficianado"
Voight said that the word progressive was created as a substitute for communist. The historic record shows that the progressive movement emerged around the turn of the last century in response to the conditions created by runaway capitalism. Its policies aimed to regulate private industry, not eliminate it. That agenda...
964
2
The war spending bill "actually spends more money on the International Monetary Fund than on the war.
June 17, 2009
military
lynn westmoreland
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland is a Republican from Georgia.
national
3
0
3
1
1
0
a press release on the House GOP's blog
So as for Westmoreland's , he's that the appropriations bill spends more money on the IMF than for the war. Lawmakers aren't literally giving the organization a bundle of cash. But he's right that there's a potential for the U.S. Treasury, over time, to give the IMF quite a chunk of change as a result of the line of c...
6,818
4
Says "how much money the government is collecting from people...in terms of the gross domestic product" is "the lowest in 40, 50 years.
December 31, 2012
federal budget;taxes
bill pascrell
Bill Pascrell is Democratic member of the House of Representatives from New Jersey.
new jersey
0
4
4
0
3
0
an interview on WOR-AM
In a radio interview, Pascrell said "how much money the government is collecting from people...in terms of the gross domestic product" is "the lowest in 40, 50 years." The congressman’s point is solid, but his timing is slightly off. As a share of the economy, federal revenues in recent years have been at their lowest ...
16,445
5
America has more governors who've worn blackface than black governors.
August 30, 2019
elections;history;states;punditfact
samuel sinyangwe
Samuel Sinyangwe is a co-founder of Campaign Zero, an activist group focused on police violence. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Aamatos)
null
1
0
0
0
0
0
a tweet
Sinyangwe said, "America has more governors who’ve worn blackface than black governors." There are currently no black governors in the United States. But there’s at least one, Ivey, who has admitted to wearing blackface in the past, and Northam has been accused of the same. We rate this statement .
6,268
4
Says Georgia will send more state money per child to state charter schools and that budget cuts are not applied to those charter schools.
August 3, 2012
education
herb garrett
Herb Garrett is the executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association.
georgia
0
1
0
0
0
0
a letter
However, traditional schools will get local money that state-approved charter schools do not. In 2011, the state Supreme Court ruled state lawmakers do not have the power to grant the state authority to approve and fund charter schools over the objection of local school boards. In conclusion, Garrett was correct on his...
10,476
3
We're destroying more businesses in the United States now than are being created for the first time in our history.
July 12, 2015
economy;small business
carly fiorina
Carly Fiorina is running for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. She is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard Company (HP). She was defeated in her attempt as the Republican nominee to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2010.
national
3
3
4
5
5
2
comments on ABC's "This Week"
Fiorina said, "In fact, we're destroying more businesses in the United States now than are being created for the first time in our history." The data she’s relying on, however, only looks back to 1978, and economists say it’s going a bit too far to say this is the first time such a trend has occurred in all of U.S. his...
11,286
3
Says Marco Rubio "went on Univision, and in Spanish he promised that he would not on the first day in office rescind President Obama's illegal executive action.
February 15, 2016
immigration
ted cruz
Ted Cruz is a U.S. Senator from Texas, first elected in 2012. Cruz also was a candidate for president of the United States in 2016. He is the former solicitor general for the state of Texas, previously serving as the director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission, an Associate Deputy Attorney...
florida
8
22
21
48
47
11
an interview on Fox News
Cruz says that Rubio "went on Univision, and in Spanish he promised that he would not on the first day in office rescind President Obama's illegal executive action." That’s a reference to Rubio’s statement in an April 2015 interview about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Cruz is cherry-picking a portion of Rubio...
13,726
0
Obama is in Texas serving meals!
August 26, 2017
environment;fake news;homeless;punditfact
bloggers
Blog posting on the Internet
null
8
18
24
53
233
396
a tweet
A popular tweet said President Barack Obama was serving meals in Texas as part of his response to Hurricane Harvey. But the photo accompanying the tweet was from 2015. Obama is not in Texas, a spokesman for the former president confirmed. We rate this statement !
1,393
3
Bill McCollum "cost the rest of us billions" as a member of Congress, including a national debt that "skyrocketed" to $4.7 trillion.
February 24, 2010
candidate biography
florida democratic party
the Florida affiliate of the Democratic Party.
florida
4
7
10
5
4
3
an advertisement by the Florida Democratic Party
Ultimately, then, the ad is worded carefully enough to be accurate in its details, but it paints a more sinister picture of McCollum's actions than he probably deserves -- both given his votes against raising the debt limit and relative to the voting patterns by Democratic lawmakers during the same period. So we rate t...
1,913
2
I said no to higher taxes and fees.
July 13, 2010
candidate biography;taxes
ellyn bogdanoff
State Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff of Fort Lauderdale is running for the Florida Senate.
florida
0
0
1
1
1
0
a TV ad
Bogdanoff defends her ad because she says it doesn't refer to her votes -- it refers to what she "said" in her role as chair of the Finance and Tax Council. We agree that she spoke against tax increases -- but ultimately politicians are judged by their votes. Many observers of her ad could interpret "I said no to highe...
8,730
0
The Bundy Ranch deal is all about Nevada Sen. Harry Reid "using federal violence to take people's land in his state so he can package it to re-sell it to the Chinese.
April 17, 2014
environment;china;government regulation;punditfact
bloggers
Blog posting on the Internet
null
8
18
24
53
233
396
multiple blog and video posts
The Republic Broadcasting Network said Sen. Reid was behind the use of force to take away Bundy’s land and sell it to the Chinese. There is nothing accurate about this . The dispute involved Bundy’s long use of federal land without a permit. The land gained protected status long before solar energy projects were on the...
7,971
3
For the state of Florida, "there is not an additional cost with implementation of the Common Core standards.
October 15, 2013
education;state budget
pam stewart
Pam Stewart is a former public school teacher and principal. In 2004, she was named Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality at the Florida Department of Education. She served in that position until 2009 when she moved to the St. Johns County School District to become Deputy Superintendent for Academic Services. She retu...
florida
0
0
2
0
0
0
Tampa
Stewart said implementation of the Common Core would not incur additional expenses. Some of the money spent on Common Core is money the state would have spent anyway on curriculum and testing. But experts said it’s unlikely that implementing the new standards cost the state no additional money. Another wrinkle: The sta...
18,893
5
We heard from the Department of Homeland Security ... that this was probably the most secure election that's ever been run in the United States.
November 15, 2020
criminal justice;elections;states
tammy baldwin
Tammy Baldwin was elected to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 6, 2012. She represented Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District from January 1999 to January 2013. She served as a member of the Wisconsin Assembly from January 1993 to January 1999. She was a Dane County supervisor from 1986 to 1994 and briefly served on the Madi...
wisconsin
10
14
15
12
7
0
a TV interview
The deadline to seek a recount — which election officials say could cost Trump’s campaign nearly $8 million — is Wednesday, Nov. 18. Our ruling  Baldwin claimed federal security officials called the Nov. 3, 2020 election the most secure in the country’s history.  She’s correct. The groups did so in direct conflict wit...
12,887
4
The Russians "tried to hack the Republican National Committee, and they were unable to break through.
January 11, 2017
foreign policy;technology
donald trump
Donald Trump is the former president of the United States. He was elected the 45th president of the United States on Nov. 8, 2016.  He has been a real estate developer, entrepreneur and host of the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice." Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015, 2017 and 2019 Lie of the Year. In N...
national
36
85
120
194
360
179
a press conference at Trump Tower
Trump said the Russians "tried to hack the Republican National Committee, and they were unable to break through." While Russians were able to get into the email accounts of some Republican individuals and state-level Republican organizations, they did not break into the Republican National Committee’s current system, a...
704
0
Obama's Ten Point Plan to 'Change' the Second Amendment…Ban use of firearms for home defense.
August 1, 2008
guns
national rifle association
An advocacy group that fights restrictions on the right to bear arms.
national
1
6
1
5
6
4
direct mail piece
We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage…We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measures that I think respect the Second Amendment and people’s traditions.” That doesn't sound to us like someone planning to "ban use of firearms for home defense." Quite the opposite, act...
6,780
5
Connecticut has the fifth toughest gun control laws in the country, including an assault weapons ban that bans 35 different weapons.
December 18, 2012
guns
jack kingston
Jack Kingston, a Republican, is a former U.S. Representative from Georgia and a political commentator.
georgia
1
3
4
3
2
0
null
Georgia had enacted two. Our conclusion: Kingston is right on this one. Connecticut consistently ranks high in lists of states with stringent gun laws, and literally ranked fifth in recent rankings by the Brady Campaign and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Furthermore, he’s pretty close on the number of assault ...
3,466
1
Says salaries and benefits for Wisconsin state employee comprised 8.5 percent of the 2009-2011 state budget.
February 19, 2011
labor;state budget
mark pocan
Mark Pocan was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2nd Congressional District on Nov. 6, 2012. He is from Madison and previously served as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin state Assembly. 
wisconsin
9
12
5
4
5
1
a blog post
We didn't get a reply, so we emailed him again April 12, and then emailed and called him on April 14. In the phone conversation, Pocan said he relied on a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo in making his , but said that he would not send us the memo. We sent another email the same day, asking Pocan to reconsider. That is a...
11,252
1
Not one Republican has the guts to recognize that climate change is real.
February 4, 2016
environment;cap and trade;climate change;debates;economy;energy;jobs;government regulation;negative campaigning;polls and public opinion;public safety
bernie sanders
Bernie Sanders is a senator from Vermont. Sanders was first elected to the Senate in 2007 and was re-elected in 2012 and 2018. The senator also ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2016, losing the Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton. From 1991 until 2007, he was the representative of Vermont’s At-Large Distr...
national
21
62
48
26
18
0
New Hampshire
Sanders said, "Not one Republican has the guts to recognize that climate change is real." In fact, we found four GOP presidential candidates who have said it is real, it's man-made, and they have offered support for actions to deal with it. Whether their proposed actions — or the actions proposed by Sanders — are the b...
23,089
1
Chick-fil-A "just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
May 29, 2023
food
tweets
Twitter is a messaging service where people often discuss politics. Individual messages are called Tweets.
null
2
4
6
12
98
39
a tweet
Chick-fil-A did not comment on this . We rate the that Chick-fil-A "just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" . RELATED LINK: No, Target is not selling ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear for kids RELATED LINK: Anheuser-Busch CEO didn’t resign after Bud Light partnered with Dylan Mulvaney
14,787
1
Clinton campaign official arrested by FBI on child rape/trafficking charges
June 27, 2018
fake news;human rights;crime;punditfact
bloggers
Blog posting on the Internet
null
8
18
24
53
233
396
a blog post
We also checked Davis’s Twitter and LinkedIn accounts and found no mention of the campaign. Seemingly, the only to support the that Davis worked for the Clinton campaign is a photo showing him and three others with Clinton campaign pins and posters. (Puppet String News did not respond to a request for comment sent vi...
4,053
4
As a percentage of our gross domestic product, the defense budget remains just 3.6 percent. This figure is low by all historical standards.
July 25, 2011
deficit;federal budget;military
randy forbes
Randy Forbes is from Chesapeake and represents Virginia's Fourth District in Congress. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2001. He serves on the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee, where he is chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. Forbes previously served i...
virginia
5
3
4
1
0
0
an opinion column.
When those costs are factored in, defense spending comes to about 5 percent of GDP. Even at that higher level, spending is low compared to the post World War II era. So Forbes is right that the U.S. defense budget is at a relatively low mark when it’s measured by the country’s economic outlook. But by other measures --...
9,790
4
We have a system now where in 40 states, the highest-paid public employee is the state university's head football or basketball coach.
November 22, 2014
education;sports;state budget
jim moran
Rep. Jim Moran, D-8th, was first elected in 1990 to represent a district covering Falls Church, Alexandria, Arlington County and part of Fairfax County. He serves on the Appropriations Committee and is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, as well as serving on the Defe...
virginia
3
6
1
2
1
1
a Facebook post
Moran said that "in 40 states, the highest-paid public employee is the state university’s head football or basketball coach." The congressman is correct if we focus on the guaranteed total pay of coaches. But there’s a caveat: State taxpayers usually pay a small share of coaches’ salaries at large universities. Most of...
12,165
4
Interior deportations under Obama were down 40 percent and at a nine-year low.
July 28, 2016
immigration
national border patrol council
The National Border Patrol Council identifies as the official group representing 16,500 border patrol agents. It endorsed Donald Trump for president in March, saying it was the first time ever it endorsed a presidential candidate in the primaries.
national
0
1
0
0
0
0
a statement
The National Border Patrol Council said in a statement that "interior deportations under Obama were down 40 percent and at a nine-year low." The group did not return requests for comment, but we found ICE data that references "interior" and "border" removals. Using that data, there isn’t a 40 percent drop -- actually i...
11,992
1
Says Hillary Clinton "took 13 hours to send help to Americans under fire" during the terrorist attack in Benghazi.
July 12, 2016
foreign policy;military;terrorism
mike pence
Mike Pence is the former vice president of the United States. A Republican, Pence was elected governor of Indiana in 2012. Pence previously served for 12 years as a congressman from Indiana representing the Sixth Congressional District; he was first elected in 2000. During his time in the U.S. House of Represenatives, ...
national
5
7
21
12
25
2
a speech at a Trump rally
Pence claimed that Clinton "took 13 hours to send help to Americans under fire." In fact, it wasn’t Clinton’s responsibility to send troops to the scene — the military chain of command took that responsibility. The Defense Department attempted to send help to the scene, but was unable to reach Benghazi before the death...
2,635
1
We're the only system of federalism in the world.
November 9, 2010
health care;history;states
pam bondi
Pam Bondi, a former Hillsborough County prosecutor, was elected Floriday Attorney General on Nov. 2, 2010 and re-elected Nov. 4, 2014. After leaving office, she joined Ballard Partners lobbying firm in Washington D.C.
florida
2
4
0
2
2
0
an interview with Fox News
"For her, the relevance of this point is that federalism -- the U.S. Constitution's clear delineation of powers between the federal and state governments -- has always been a fundamental aspect of our Constitution and of our national heritage. Completely apart from any policy-based disagreements with the federal health...
15,592
0
18 million illegal immigrants got their government checks this month" while federal workers remain unpaid.
January 21, 2019
immigration;fake news;facebook fact-checks
facebook posts
Posters on Facebook and other social media networks.  
null
24
50
108
245
1,410
570
Facebook posts
Viral Facebook posts are claiming that 18 million illegal immigrants received a government check this month, while federal workers remain unpaid amid the government shutdown. We could not find any that supports this figure, and multiple reports put the total number of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. far low...
8,671
3
Says restoring Georgia pre-k to a 180-day program was a "real result" of his leadership.
April 9, 2014
education
nathan deal
Nathan Deal is running for Georgia governor in 2010.
georgia
13
11
11
9
5
0
campaign web site
It was up 7 percent in 2012 and 3 percent in 2013, according to the Georgia Lottery Corp. And the reserve fund had $734 million as of June 30, 2013, records show. Our conclusion: Gov. Nathan Deal was the driving force behind the push to reinstate the days to Georgia pre-k. But he also initiated the cuts, and they had c...
19,999
1
There is clear legal authority to handcuff and put in leg irons legislators that are trying to stop the legislature from being able to do business.
July 13, 2021
null
ted cruz
Ted Cruz is a U.S. Senator from Texas, first elected in 2012. Cruz also was a candidate for president of the United States in 2016. He is the former solicitor general for the state of Texas, previously serving as the director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission, an Associate Deputy Attorney...
texas
8
22
21
48
47
11
an interview
But, because absent lawmakers aren’t charged with a crime, it’s unclear how the use of the word "arrest" should be interpreted in this context.  This is because no Texas court has reviewed how this provision is to be enforced. Thus, there is no legal clarity.  We rate this  . Editor's note: This story has been updated...
6,786
1
Says George Washington said a free people should be armed to guard against government tyranny.
December 16, 2012
government regulation;guns
louie gohmert
Louie Gohmert, a U.S. House member since 2005, is a former chief justice of the Texas 12th Court of Appeals and Smith County state district judge. He lives in Tyler.
texas
0
0
2
2
7
3
an interview on ‘Fox News Sunday’
Gohmert’s rendering, "George Washington said a free people should be an armed people," seemingly tracks Washington’s words to the nation: "A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined." Contrary to Gohmert’s characterization, though, Washington was not speaking about citizens arming themselves in case of g...
15,154
0
Says a photo shows Brett Kavanaugh passed out.
September 27, 2018
fake news;facebook fact-checks
bloggers
Blog posting on the Internet
null
8
18
24
53
233
396
a blog post headline
It is captioned "portrait of a young man asleep on the couch after drinking too much beer." Getty was only founded in 1995, and there is no indication that the photo was taken prior to that date. A search for photos of Kavanaugh in Getty Images yields no results prior to 1996, when Kavanaugh was an aide to Independent ...