Four Pinocchios for Biden's claim about Georgia In the aftermath of President Biden's surprise victory in Georgia, Republicans in the state enacted a law that has come under fire for imposing voting rules and restrictions that experts say raise new obstacles for Black and Latino voters, the same voters who lifted Biden to victory. Passed by a Republican legislature and signed last week by Gov. Brian Kemp (R), the law restricts the distribution of food and water to people standing in line, makes it harder to cast absentee ballots, reduces the number of drop boxes for mail ballots, bars mobile voting places and potentially gives more power to the GOP-controlled legislature in the election process. Biden called it "outrageous." Numerous civil rights groups and election experts have criticized the law as a new embodiment of Jim Crow. Legal challenges are being filed. The chief executives of Georgia-based Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola, along with other corporate titans, have blasted the measure for limiting minorities' access to the ballot box. But Biden also made a claim about the law that was simply wrong. "It's sick. It's sick … deciding that you're going to end voting at five o'clock when working people are just getting off work," Biden said at a news conference March 25. The next day, the White House issued a written statement in Biden's name that said the Georgia law "ends voting hours early so working people can't cast their vote after their shift is over." On Election Day in Georgia, polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line by 7 p.m. is allowed to cast a ballot. Nothing in the new law changes those rules. However, the law did make some changes to early voting. Experts say the net effect was to expand the opportunities to vote for most Georgians, not limit them. The law clarifies that counties may conduct early voting during the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday, but that's the minimum and in fact the measure would extend hours in counties that had fewer than eight hours of early voting a day. The law also allows counties to have early voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. if they choose. Biden earned Four Pinocchios. Enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to someone else who'd like it! If this email was forwarded to you, sign up here. Did you hear something fact-checkable? Send it here; we'll check it out. Matt Gaetz's elusive travel records The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican allied with former president Donald Trump, over an alleged sexual relationship about two years ago with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz, 38, has confirmed that he is a subject of the investigation. He denies the allegations. "The New York Times is running a story that I have traveled with a 17-year-old woman, and that is verifiably false," Gaetz said on Fox News hours after the story broke on Tuesday. "People can look at my travel records and see that that is not the case." Which records is Gaetz referring to, where can they be found, and how do they disprove the allegations against him? These are natural questions following his comments on Fox News. Gaetz says the records would clear his name. But when we asked to see them, neither he nor his staff acknowledged our questions. Here's the bottom line: House members' personal travel and expenses are not subject to disclosure, so there would be no public records to check regarding Gaetz's private life. And his private records, such as bank and credit card statements, are not available for people to peruse at will. Gaetz earned Four Pinocchios. We're always looking for fact-check suggestions. You can reach us via email, Twitter (@GlennKesslerWP, @rizzoTK, @mmkelly22) or Facebook. Read about our process and rating scale here, and sign up for the newsletter here. Scroll down for this week's Pinocchio roundup. By Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo and Adriana Usero ● Read more » | | |
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