Stephen KoffBureau chief, Plain Dealer Washington bureau
Stephen Koff has worked as a reporter or editor for more than 28 years, the past 18 of them for The Plain Dealer. He currently is the newspaper's Washington bureau chief, covering politics and policy from the White House to Congress, and helps direct and plan the newspaper's Washington report. He previously worked for the St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg Evening Independent, and Cincinnati Magazine. He grew up in Cincinnati and has degrees from Northern Arizona University and American University.
The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Stephen Koff
"The Social Security disability fund is going belly up in 2016."
Forty aides who serve President Barack Obama "owe $333,485 in back taxes."
"There have been literally hundreds of new tax preferences and loopholes added to the code since 1986, last time we did this."
Federal spending on entitlements "is projected to consume all revenue by 2045."
Says out-of-state abortion clinics "have marketed their services to minors" in states with parental consent laws.
Says the New Year’s Day "fiscal cliff" deal "reduces the deficit."
The so-called doc fix in the fiscal cliff deal will cut payments "for treating illnesses disproportionately impacting minorities, including end stage renal disease and diabetes."
Says food stamp growth, while high, lagged the rise in unemployment.
Budget analysts say the looming tax hikes and spending cuts would "take us into a recession and kill jobs."
Recent stories from Stephen Koff
Will recess appointment handcuff consumer cop?Whether appropriately bold or outrageous, President Barack Obama stirred up the dust when he used a recess appointment to make former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray the nation’s consumer financial cop. We were intrigued by an argument put forth by Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio: that Obama might have limited Cordray’s ability to do his full job because of the way he put the Ohioan in the director’s chair. But sorting the issue out on the Truth-O-Meter proved to be a challenge.
PolitiFact Ohio celebrates a year of the Truth-O-MeterWe're celebrating one year of PolitiFact Ohio. We launched July 25, 2010. Since then we've posted Truth-O-Meter ratings on more 200 statements, including some surprising truths and some real whoppers.
Texas Democrats accused of maxing out U.S. credit cardThe National Republican Congressional Committee says big spending by congressional Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Ruben Hinojosa and Henry Cuellar of Texas, pushed the nation’s debt to the limit. PolitiFact Ohio poked into that.
One year later: Some truths, some half-truthsOne year after President Obama signed the health care law, we examine some of the truths and half-truths.
Fact-checking the federal budget fightA deadline looms for the federal budget on Friday, with even more deadlines to come.
PolitiFact Georgia cranks up the Deal-O-MeterLike the Truth-O-Meter? Then meet the Deal-O-Meter. AJC PolitiFact Georgia's new gizmo detects whether our freshly minted governor, Nathan Deal, lives up to his campaign promises. We rolled it out just in time for Inauguration Day on Monday. It has already ruled on promises Deal made on ethics, personal finances and a slew of other issues. Not that the Truth-O-Meter is idle. We sent it to south central Georgia to learn about wild hogs, then to D.C. for an item on the national debt. Join us on Twitter and Facebook to comment and read our latest updates.
The Voter Guide: Seven key distortions of the campaignAfter examining hundreds of claims in the 2010 campaign, we've seen some patterns in how candidates -- and outside groups -- have twisted the facts.
Groups stretching the truth to get your voteWith millions of ad dollars flowing into Ohio from outside groups — groups that do not coordinate their spending with the candidates, or at least may not legally — the claims are flying like wild pitches. PolitiFact Ohio and others are increasingly blowing the referee's whistle on the distortions. Yet the sponsors of the ads continue unabated, convinced, apparently, that the truth, or the whole truth, doesn't win elections.
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. Email the Ohio Truth-O-Meter with feedback and with claims you'd like to see checked. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
