We recap the facts behind the claims made in some of the many attack ads released by the campaigns and outside groups in Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections.
FactChecking the Georgia Senate Runoffs
Person: Jon Ossoff
Perdue’s Shaky Claim of a Nonexistent ‘Investigation’
A TV ad from Republican Sen. David Perdue’s campaign claims a supposed “China scandal” involving his challenger, Democrat Jon Ossoff, “keeps getting worse.” But it’s the distortions of the facts that are getting worse, not any “scandal.”
Primer on Trump’s Visit to Georgia
In advance of President Donald Trump’s visit to Georgia, we recap our fact-checking reports on the Georgia Senate races and Trump’s false, misleading and unfounded statements about alleged election fraud in that state.
NRSC’s Dual Attack on Warnock and Ossoff
A TV ad from a Republican group accuses the Democratic candidates in Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections of having “radically dangerous” ideas on the criminal justice system and the environment. But there’s more to their positions than what the ad suggests.
A Misleading Dark Money Attack on Ossoff
A Republican TV ad falsely suggests that “liberal megadonors” are spending $1 billion in “dark money” to help Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s Senate runoff race. That’s how much multiple experts estimate may be spent on all candidates in both Georgia Senate elections for the entire 2020 campaign.
Twisting the Facts on ‘Dirty Money’ in the Georgia Race
Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff’s production company received payments from a Hong Kong media company and Al Jazeera for the rights to air investigative pieces, but a Republican TV ad misleadingly claims Ossoff got cash from “Chinese communists and terrorist sympathizers.”
Opening Ads in the Perdue-Ossoff Runoff
In the first TV ads of the runoff campaign that could help decide the balance of the Senate, Republican Sen. David Perdue warned his opponent would “radically change America,” while Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff accused his opponent of downplaying the coronavirus.
Spinning Georgia’s Election Results
No candidate received 50 percent of the vote in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District special election, so the top two vote-getters now face off in a June 20 runoff. Nevertheless, both parties claimed a moral victory — spinning the facts to make their points.
Trump Distorts Ossoff’s Record
On the morning of the special House election in Georgia, President Trump fired off two tweets that were critical of Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff. Trump claimed Ossoff “will raise your taxes,” but we could find no evidence of Ossoff proposing any broad-based tax increases.