FactCheck.org Slaps Kilroy

For Immediate Release                                                       Contact: John Damschroder

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010                                                     (614) 359-3272

News Flash: Congresswoman Kilroy Caught Lying Again to Voters

Kilroy's Claim is "Bailout Baloney," "Misleading" and "Dubious"

COLUMBUS - In case you missed it, Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy has been caught in yet another lie to central Ohio voters, and this time in one of her very own commercials.

The non-partisan website FactCheck.org has put the Kilroy lie in the spotlight and calls the claim in Kilroy's recent ad "bailout baloney" and "misleading."

The Lie

In her TV advertisement, Congresswoman Kilroy claims she "voted against the bank bailout." The problem with the claim - the vote took place on October 3, 2008, months before Kilroy even took office.

Kilroy is one of five legislators FactCheck.org highlights in their investigation of false and misleading ads. The website tells the public that:

"Most of the five ads mention a string of actions the freshman Democrats took that are meant to illustrate their principled independence. Supposedly voting "against the bailout" is just one of them. But it's one that didn't happen, and voters shouldn't be led to believe otherwise." (FactCheck.org, 09/03/10)

Moreover, the Columbus Dispatch analyzed the Kilroy's ad and determined it to be a "dubious claim." (Columbus Dispatch 09/03/10)

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda: Congresswoman Kilroy's office told FactCheck.org that she would have voted against the bailout no matter what the circumstances. It sounds like another "dubious claim".

"Congresswoman Kilroy has told so many lies and half-truths to Central Ohioans she can't keep them all straight," said Stivers for Congress spokesman John Damschroder. "Her latest ad is yet another attempt to hide her record and distort the truth. The voters of this district know better than to believe anything Mary Jo Kilroy says."

The Stivers for Congress campaign called on Kilroy to pull the misleading ad from the airwaves and to issue a public apology for misleading voters.

"The Congresswoman has taken tainted money, misrepresented her positions on the issues and now boldly and blatantly lied to the families of Central Ohio, the very least she can do is issue an apology and set the record straight," Damschroder added.

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