Fact checker avoids checking facts

A summary article by PolitiFact Wisconsin's Tom Kertscher contributes new evidence supporting our claims that PolitiFact checks facts poorly and applies its standards inconsistently. We'll address the latter point in a later post.

Kertscher's article reviewed statements made in Wisconsin by Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. The following example from Kertscher's story grabbed our attention:

"The Republican governor of Florida has forbidden any state employee ever to use, either orally or in writing, the words ‘climate change.’ "

A news report in March 2015 made that assertion, though the governor, Rick Scott, denied it.

The story Kertscher linked in support, however, dealt only with Florida's Department of Environmental Protection. The State of Florida has quite a few employees outside of the DEP. On the face of it, Clinton exaggerated wildly and the best PolitiFact Wisconsin can do in response is prop up a he-said/she-said facade supporting Clinton.

PolitiFact Wisconsin reported falsely. The March 2015 news report made no assertion that Gov. Scott placed a "climate change" gag order on every state employee in Florida.

We sent a message to Tom Kertscher on March 30, 2016 pointing out the error.

We'll update this item if we receive any response.