Newsroom

PolitiFact

The Newsroom runs PolitiFact Illinois, the local arm of the nationally renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking enterprise that rates the truthfulness of statements made by governmental leaders and politicians.

RSS

PolitiFact

Orland Park Mayor Says Crime at Lowest in Nearly Three Decades

In his bid for Congress, Mayor Keith Pekau is touting the downward turn in reported crimes during his tenure. While the reported statistics bear him out, there was a spike in violent crime his first year in office.
May 1, 2022 12:00 PM
PolitiFact

Illinois Rep. Mary Miller Claims Biden Administration Is Encouraging Kids to Take "Castration" Drugs, Undergo Surgeries

Miller, a Republican from east central Illinois, took to Twitter after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called out Alabama lawmakers for approving a bill to block transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care. Miller falsely claimed the White House is lying to kids by telling them puberty blockers are reversible.
Apr 17, 2022 12:00 PM
PolitiFact

Duckworth Overstates Specifics of Gender Pay Gap Study

The U.S. Senator and veteran joins a growing number of Democratic politicians who have incorrectly cited a national study of the gender pay gap to include an analysis of men and women in the same job. It doesn’t.
Apr 1, 2022 5:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-check: Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin claims he reduced homicides by 40% his first year in office

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin in a tweet last month claimed he reduced homicides by 40% during his first year in office. Experts say using percentages instead of actual numbers to describe crime trends is misleading.
Updated: Mar 6, 2022 @ 5:43 PM
PolitiFact

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour Claims No ‘Observational or Clinical Data’ Exists Proving Benefits of Masks in K-12 Schools

Illinois state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said there is absolutely no observed or clinical data to indicate any benefit to masking K-12 students. No clinical data is available to date, but a health expert says there is plenty of observational data out there.
Feb 20, 2022 12:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Pritzker’s Mostly Correct About Illinois’ Vaccination Claims

Gov. Pritzker said “a larger percentage of Illinoisans have been vaccinated,” compared to the rest of the Midwest. That’s mostly true but when it comes to those who are fully vaccinated, Minnesota is the region’s top performer.
Feb 11, 2022 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-check: No, Chicago’s Jobless Rate in 2021 Was Not Better Than ‘Any Large American City’

Mayor Lori Lightfoot proclaimed that Chicago’s unemployment rate in 2021 was better than New York and Los Angeles but it was not lower than most other large cities across the nation.
Jan 31, 2022 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

PolitiFact's 2021 Lie of the Year

PolitiFact National names lies about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and its significance as the Lie of the Year.
Dec 15, 2021 2:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: No, Migrant ‘Caravan’ From Tapachula, Mexico Is Not the Population of Minneapolis

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller from downstate Illinois compared the group of migrants heading north from the southern Mexico city of Tapachula to the population of Minneapolis, which has 430,000 residents. At most, it is 1% of that.
Oct 31, 2021 12:00 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: No Proof for Lawmaker’s Claim That 75% of Illinois Republicans Are Vaccinated Against COVID

State Sen. Terri Bryant said three-quarters of Republicans in Illinois have been vaccinated against COVID-19. That figure is out of line with national surveys and suggests that Republicans are outpacing the state’s overall vaccination rate despite higher vaccination rates in blue counties than red ones.
Oct 3, 2021 12:00 PM

PolitiFact

Orland Park Mayor Says Crime at Lowest in Nearly Three Decades

Illinois Rep. Mary Miller Claims Biden Administration Is Encouraging Kids to Take "Castration" Drugs, Undergo Surgeries

Duckworth Overstates Specifics of Gender Pay Gap Study

Fact-check: Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin claims he reduced homicides by 40% his first year in office

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour Claims No ‘Observational or Clinical Data’ Exists Proving Benefits of Masks in K-12 Schools

Fact-Check: Pritzker’s Mostly Correct About Illinois’ Vaccination Claims

Fact-check: No, Chicago’s Jobless Rate in 2021 Was Not Better Than ‘Any Large American City’

PolitiFact's 2021 Lie of the Year

Fact-Check: No, Migrant ‘Caravan’ From Tapachula, Mexico Is Not the Population of Minneapolis

Fact-Check: No Proof for Lawmaker’s Claim That 75% of Illinois Republicans Are Vaccinated Against COVID