How does PolitiFact Georgia’s Truth-O-Meter work?
Our goal is to help you find the truth in American politics. Reporters from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution fact-check statements by local, state and national political leaders, including lobbyists and interest groups. We then rate them on the AJC Truth-O-Meter.
To fact-check a claim, reporters first contact the speaker to verify the statement. Next, the research begins. Reporters consult a variety of sources, including industry and academic experts. This research can take hours or a few days or even longer, depending on the claim. Reporters then compile the research into story form and include a recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling.
The fact check then moves on to a panel of veteran editors who debate the statement and the reporter’s recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling. The panel votes on a final ruling; majority prevails.
What do Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have in common?
They all took a recent ride of the AJC Truth-O-Meter, courtesy of PolitiFact and PolitiFact Georgia.
Want to see how their faried? Abbreviated versions of our fact checks are below.
Want to comment on our rulings or suggest one of your own? Just go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/politifact.georgia). You can also follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/politifactga).
Full versions can be found at www.politifact.com/georgia/.
Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 24th, 2016 in an Instagram post:
“Hypocrisy at the Clinton Foundation: Top male staff made on average $218,029 while top female staff made $153,014 from 2010-2014.”
If you allow some leeway on what accounts for top staff, Trump is close on the numbers. But the statistical pool is too limited and the methodology is too crude to demonstrate evidence of hypocrisy.
Trump ignores the nuances of gender-based wage disparities, just as Democrats often over-simplify the gender pay gap.
The statement is partially accurate but takes things out of context.
We rated Trump’s statement Half True.
Hillary Clinton on Thursday, May 26th, 2016 in an interview on ABC:
“It was allowed,” referring to her email practices.
No one ever stopped Clinton from conducting work over her private email server exclusively.
But that’s not the same thing as it being allowed. Offices within the State Department told an independent inspector general that if she had asked, they would not have allowed it.
The report from the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General shatters one of Clinton’s go-to phrases about her email practice.
We rated Clinton’s claim False.
Bernie Sanders on Sunday, May 29th, 2016 in an interview on “Meet the Press”:
“I believe we should have tax on carbon and deal aggressively with climate change. That is not (Hillary Clinton’s) position.”
Unlike Sanders, Clinton doesn’t advocate for a carbon tax.
Clinton doesn’t go as far as Sanders in her climate change plan, but she does have one.
The League of Conservation Voters supports her plan as realistic and achievable.
We rated Sanders’ claim Mostly True.
Donald Trump on Wednesday, June 1st, 2016 in a campaign speech:
We’ve broken “by millions” the all-time record for votes in a GOP presidential primary election.
With victories on June 7th, including in California, he may well smash the record.
But he’s not there yet.
We rated Trump’s claim False … for now.
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