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

Fact-Check: Was Rauner’s First Term a Dry Spell for Jobs? No.

Pritzker's running mate Stratton says employment flatlined under Rauner. But federal jobs data—and her campaign’s own response—tell a different story.
Jul 16, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Emanuel Wrong Again on Chicago Jobs

The mayor’s latest claim about Chicago’s workforce holds up no better to the facts than a similar one he made early this year. Not surprisingly, there were more workers and jobs in the city decades ago when the population was much greater.
Jul 9, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Illinois Lite Guv Calls Progressive Tax Idea Regressive

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s running mate claims a push by Democrats to replace Illinois’ flat-rate income tax with progressive rates that charge higher earners more would be the opposite of progressive and lead to higher taxes.
Jul 2, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Did Rauner Really Pour $1 Billion ‘Down the Drain’?

Illinois has racked up a mountain of interest penalties for paying bills late after a record budget impasse. The Democrat hoping to unseat Gov. Bruce Rauner says it’s all the Republican’s fault, but the facts tell a more complicated story.
Jun 25, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Is CPS the Most Understaffed District in Illinois?

The nation’s third-largest school district comes up short on staffing compared to the rest of the state, a fact that undercuts prevailing assumptions about bureaucratic bloat and raises questions about how district funds are being spent.
Jun 21, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Rauner’s Legionnaires’ Claim Misses the Mark—and the Point

Gov. Bruce Rauner continues to take heat for his response to repeated outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans’ home. Recently, he made an unsupported claim about what initiated the crisis that does nothing to refute those critiques.
Jun 18, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Oh, the Humanity! One-man Ouchy Rahm Emanuel, a Preschool Teacher?

Chicago’s tough-talking mayor is known for charging headfirst into politics in his 20s, but teaching preschoolers? We weren’t familiar with that one.
Jun 13, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: No, Chicagoland Isn’t the Only Metro Area Losing Residents

Mayoral hopeful Lori Lightfoot said Chicago is the only “metropolitan area” in the nation losing population, a claim that wins her no points for clarity and skirts the edge of credibility.
Jun 1, 2018 6:00 AM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Blago Op-ed Falsely Claims He is in Prison for ‘Practicing Politics’

Illinois’ former governor once expressed remorse for misdeeds, but years in prison have him lashing out in print at the federal agents who put him there for allegedly criminalizing normal political conduct. His own words and actions belie the claim.
May 29, 2018 5:45 PM
PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Rauner Says Texas Is More Union Job Friendly Than Illinois

The governor contends manufacturing workers have a better chance of finding union jobs in Texas than in Illinois, despite the Prairie State’s more union-friendly policies. His numbers add up, but don’t quite prove his point.
May 24, 2018 6:00 AM

PolitiFact

Fact-Check: Was Rauner’s First Term a Dry Spell for Jobs? No.

Fact-Check: Emanuel Wrong Again on Chicago Jobs

Fact-Check: Illinois Lite Guv Calls Progressive Tax Idea Regressive

Fact-Check: Did Rauner Really Pour $1 Billion ‘Down the Drain’?

Fact-Check: Is CPS the Most Understaffed District in Illinois?

Fact-Check: Rauner’s Legionnaires’ Claim Misses the Mark—and the Point

Oh, the Humanity! One-man Ouchy Rahm Emanuel, a Preschool Teacher?

Fact-Check: No, Chicagoland Isn’t the Only Metro Area Losing Residents

Fact-Check: Blago Op-ed Falsely Claims He is in Prison for ‘Practicing Politics’

Fact-Check: Rauner Says Texas Is More Union Job Friendly Than Illinois