PolitiFact.com
Statements about Legal Issues
Gerald McCormick

Gerald McCormick

False

Clearly unclear

The state constitution "clearly says there’s not to be a state income tax in Tennessee."

Lamar Smith

Lamar Smith

False

Too slippery to pin down?

"Illegal counterfeiting and piracy costs the U.S. economy $100 billion... every year."

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

Mostly True

Several times

"Speaker Gingrich for 20 years supported a federal individual mandate" for health insurance.

John DePetro

John DePetro

Pants on Fire!

Waaaay out of bounds

"[The] ACLU and atheists in Denver are demanding the NFL stop [Tim Tebow] from praying on the sidelines."

David Cicilline

David Cicilline

Half-True

Exaggerated to make a point

Enacting the Right-to-Carry Act would amount to "expanding the rights of sex offenders, terrorists, child predators, and abusers to carry concealed weapons across state lines.’’

Eric Holder

Eric Holder

True

A good candidate for the truth

"After filing a lawsuit in Rhode Island, we reached an agreement with state agencies that resulted in more voters being registered in the first full month after our lawsuit than in the entire previous two-year reporting period."

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

Mostly False

Ignores long line of precedents and details of case in question

In a watershed 1958 decision, "the Warren court asserted by itself that the Supreme Court was supreme over the president and the Congress."

MacIver Institute

MacIver Institute

Mostly False

Only until “flagged” signatures can be reviewed

"Wisconsin election officials to accept Mickey Mouse, Hitler signatures" on recall petitions.

Ron Paul

Ron Paul

True

He's right, though not everyone agrees that waterboarding is torture

"Torture is illegal by our laws. It's illegal by international laws."

John Birch Society

John Birch Society

Half-True

Technically, yes, but ...

Under a Wisconsin bill, "minor offenses such as violating pet leash laws, seat belt laws, parking infractions, etc., would now be arrestable offenses."

State Democratic Party of Wisconsin

State Democratic Party of Wisconsin

Mostly False

Harder for lawyers, but on both sides of the cases

A bill supported by Gov. Scott Walker makes it "so that drunk drivers who kill have an easier time of it."

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Mostly True

Romney would have a little wiggle room to disagree, but not much

Says Mitt Romney "is committed to overturning Roe vs. Wade, and he supports such amendments that define a life as beginning at the moment of conception."

Wisconsin Association for Justice

Wisconsin Association for Justice

False

Bill favors local government, but claim is a bridge too far

A state bill would end a longstanding requirement that local governments repair highways and sidewalks -- and block injured citizens from suing over neglected maintenance.  

George Nee

George Nee

Half-True

True for R.I., not for U.S.

"This is the first time in our state, and one of the first times in the country, where benefit reductions . . . has happened to people who are retired."

Robert Kraig

Robert Kraig

Mostly True

Not blanket protection

Wisconsin bill "grants drug companies and medical device manufacturers immunity from injuries and deaths caused by their products."

Brian Newberry

Brian Newberry

True

The Founding Fathers said so

"Legally, it doesn't make any difference" which state district you live in when running for Congress.

Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition

Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition

Mostly False

Savings will take decades to achieve

"In the past six years alone, changes to the pension formula … have saved over half a billion dollars."

David Cicilline

David Cicilline

True

Military experts say he's right

Says an amendment specifying when military members may use deadly force "does nothing to change existing rules of engagement for American service members."

Sean Hannity

Sean Hannity

True

It's in the bill

Under President Barack Obama’s jobs bill, "you can sue if you are unemployed and don't get the job and think you weren't hired because you are unemployed."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Mostly True

His 2010 book isn't explicit, but strongly suggests it

Says that in his book, Rick Perry said that "Social Security is unconstitutional."

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