The IRS has been under fire for allegedly targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. We checked recent claims by two lawmakers.
As the IRS sits in the hot seat, we check tax facts
We looked at two claims -- one by a Republican lawmaker, one by a Democratic lawmaker -- that go to the heart of whether the IRS is too fearsome, or not doing enough.
A scorecard separating fact from fiction
Says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told insurance companies "they couldn't inform their policyholders of what they thought the impact of Obamacare would be on them."
A law that mandates fingerprinting for gun purchasers is "a requirement that's reduced gun crimes in the five states where it's the law."
"We have a tax code that allows groups to use their political operations within the tax code, under the guise of a charity, to use undisclosed millions of dollars to do political campaigns."
"The IRS doesn't have to prove something against you ... you've got the burden of proof."
Says Hillary Clinton "was asked repeatedly to provide security in Benghazi on several occasions, including direct cables."
The IRS is going to be "in charge" of "a huge national database" on health care that will include Americans’ "personal, intimate, most close-to-the-vest-secrets."
The IRS is "going to be in charge of our health care."
"The IRS will have the ability potentially" to deny or delay health care.
"The Affordable Care Act is bringing the cost of health care in our country down."
Says Kelly Ayotte voted to "fix background checks."
"We had people that were getting killed (in Benghazi), we had people who are willing to risk their lives to go save them, and somebody told them to stand down."
"Over the last several months, there was a review board headed by two distinguished Americans, Mike Mullen and Tom Pickering, who investigated every element of" the Benghazi incident.
When Susan Rice spoke about Benghazi on Sunday news shows, she said "that al-Qaida might be involved, or other al-Qaida affiliates might be involved, or non-al-Qaida Libyan extremists, which I think demonstrates that there was no effort to play that down."
PolitiFact wins Green Eyeshade Award for public service in online journalism
PolitiFact, the national politics fact-checking website of the Tampa Bay Times, has won a first place Green Eyeshade Awards in the category public service in ...
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Editor Bill Adair to leave PolitiFact
This summer we say goodbye to Bill Adair, founding editor of PolitiFact.
Adair, who helped create the Tampa Bay Times' prize-winning fact-checking site, will join ...
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The Lie of the Year, still
A number of readers emailed us this week about news reports that Chrysler is moving forward with a partnership in China to produce Jeeps. They ...
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MOSTLY TRUE – The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.
HALF TRUE – The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.
MOSTLY FALSE – The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.
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The Obameter is following more than 500 promises made by President Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.
The latest from the Obameter
Beyond the Truth-O-Meter
Texas —
"We have one charter school that for seven years has been rated unacceptable."
— Bill Ratliff
Georgia —
The state of Georgia lost 16 percent of its employees last year, and that percentage has risen over the past three years.
— Nathan Deal- Texas —
Says only 25 percent of Texas high school students graduate prepared for college or careers.
— Bill Hammond
Oregon —
Says, "In Oregon in 2010, 49 percent of all pregnancies were unintended."
— Carolyn Tomei- New Jersey —
"New Jersey's governor cut $1.6 billion from public education while handing out $2.1 billion in corporate tax breaks, more than the entire previous decade."
— New Jersey State AFL-CIO
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