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The Philadelphia Inquirer is partnering with PolitiFact, to fact-check Pennsylvania politicians. Through the work of an Inquirer reporter dedicated to this effort, and collaborating with other reporters and editors from both The Inquirer and PolitiFact, we will assess the accuracy of statements by elected officials, political candidates, and other public figures. This work is more important now than ever.

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All Fact-checks for Pennsylvania

Brian Fitzpatrick

stated on March 23, 2020 in comments he made on the radio

“We’ve got to give the American public a rough estimate of how long we think this is going to take, based mostly on the South Korean model, which seems to be the trajectory that we are on, thankfully, and not the Italian model.”

true

half-true

stated on February 28, 2020 in a news article

“Swing State Hit With 2020 Voting Lawsuit - Accused Of Registering Over 1,500 Deceased People In Pennsylvania.”

true

barely-true

stated on February 19, 2020 in a Facebook post

“Fact: Mike Bloomberg spent $12 million to re-elect a Senate Republican (Toomey) in 2016. Toomey beat the Dem (McGinty) by 1.5 points. If McGinty had won, Ds would have controlled the Senate after Doug Jones won and could have blocked Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court.”

true

half-true

stated on December 12, 2019 in a Facebook post

Says a photo shows "a Trump rally in downtown Philly yesterday."

true

pants-fire

stated on October 15, 2019 in a debate

"Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania actually in the latest jobs data have lost jobs, not gained them."

true

false

stated on August 13, 2019 in a speech

"From 2010 to 2017, natural gas production plummeted by nearly 70 percent in New York, but it soared almost 1,000 percent in Pennsylvania."

true

mostly-true

stated on May 22, 2019 in remarks in the Rose Garden

Says Pennsylvania Republican nominee for Congress Fred Keller "was a 50-50 shot" before his landslide victory.

true

false

stated on October 11, 2018 in Campaign email

"Our unemployment rate is 20 percent higher than the national average."

true

false

stated on October 6, 2018 in a televised debate

Capital punishment is a "specific deterrent with the most heinous crimes."

true

barely-true

National Republican Congressional Committee

stated on September 12, 2018 in a TV ad

Scott Wallace wants to tax families of five for 'irresponsible breeding'

true

false

stated on July 22, 2018 in an opinion piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer

"[The] unemployment rate in the Philadelphia metro area is now at its lowest level ever recorded."

true

mostly-true

stated on June 7, 2018 in an interview

"The city that I was mayor of was 50 percent Latino, and I won with 90 percent of the vote..."

true

barely-true

stated on June 4, 2018 in a tweet

Philadelphia Eagles players stayed "in the Locker Room for the playing of our our National Anthem" or were "kneeling."

true

false

stated on May 22, 2018 in a press release

"Since the end of the financial crisis, we have seen an average of one community bank or credit union disappear every day."

true

mostly-true

stated on May 21, 2018 in Fundraising email

Gov. Wolf is trying to implement "a severance tax that would be financed by Pennsylvania’s working class"

true

barely-true

stated on May 7, 2017 in a campaign video

"Today, we (in Pennsylvania) have higher unemployment and lower job growth than most."

true

mostly-true

stated on March 23, 2018 in Campaign video

"Pennsylvania (is) the only state in the country not to tax drillers."

true

half-true

stated on March 14, 2018 in Private fundraiser

Says Conor Lamb "ran on a campaign that said very nice things about me."

true

false

stated on March 13, 2018 in an election night speech

Says he didn't take "corporate PAC money."

true

mostly-true

stated on November 29, 2017 in a tweet

"GDP is booming. Let’s spread the prosperity to the middle class with big #TaxCuts. Our #TaxReform package doubles standard deduction, brings $$$ back home, and reduces rates for ALL taxpayers. We will #MAGA."

true

barely-true

How the coronavirus pandemic is shaping the Democratic primary calendar

How the coronavirus pandemic is shaping the Democratic primary calendar

By Louis Jacobson • March 26, 2020

Fact-checking coronavirus claims by Pennsylvania politicians

Fact-checking coronavirus claims by Pennsylvania politicians

By Jessica Calefati • March 25, 2020

Are Pennsylvania Democrats fleeing the party to become Republicans?

Are Pennsylvania Democrats fleeing the party to become Republicans?

By Colin Deppen • October 5, 2018

Does Conor Lamb support mice more than Medicare?

Does Conor Lamb support mice more than Medicare?

By Colin Deppen • September 26, 2018

Fact checking Pa. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's Facebook meltdown

Fact checking Pa. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's Facebook meltdown

By Colin Deppen • April 23, 2018

Why Wolf and the Senate GOP are fighting over unemployment center layoffs

Why Wolf and the Senate GOP are fighting over unemployment center layoffs

By Cassie Owens • November 23, 2016

Pat Toomey's bank and fact vs. fiction in this noisy US Senate race

Pat Toomey's bank and fact vs. fiction in this noisy US Senate race

By Anna Orso • October 28, 2016

Sin taxes and Pennsylvania’s poor: New cigarette levy fits a pattern

Sin taxes and Pennsylvania’s poor: New cigarette levy fits a pattern

By Cassie Owens • August 2, 2016

What causes most gun violence in Philly

What causes most gun violence in Philly

By Cassie Owens • April 4, 2016

Impossible to check: John Fetterman’s claim that sanctuary cities are safer

Impossible to check: John Fetterman’s claim that sanctuary cities are safer

By Cassie Owens • February 29, 2016