When ‘Fake News’ Gets It Right
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist corrects the facts about Jon Ossoff's fundraising.
I wanted to share news that should make all of us rejoice during this week of Passover celebrations. It is a shining example that truth and democracy are still alive in our country.
An opinion piece appeared in The Atlanta Journal Constitution this week that analyzed the campaign contributions of the candidates in the 6th District special election. The columnist’s math made my head spin.
The article claimed to show that Jon Ossoff’s campaign donations from inside the district fall below the other candidates. What is baffling is that these donation figures are publicly disclosed on the Federal Elections Commission website, and anyone can see for themselves that Ossoff’s donations from Georgia surpass those of the other candidates. Here are the numbers from the FEC showing what three of the top candidates in the race have collected from inside the district:
The article seemed to be just another example of “alternative facts.” Well, here is the beautiful part: Columnist Kyle Wingfieldcorrected his mistake and came out loud and clear with his mea culpa: http://kylewingfield.blog.myajc.com/2017/04/13/opinion-an-important-corrective-about-jon-ossoffs-georgia-money/.
So many events today, including the 6th District special election, are fraught with drama and emotion. It is horrifying to see lies and manipulation of facts being used as a weapon. Kudos to Mr. Wingfield at the AJC for establishing himself as a reporter dedicated to the facts.
Jon Ossoff’s opponents are engaged in a lot of negative campaigning, but that doesn’t change the final equation that is putting Ossoff at the top of this race. His forthright integrity, refusal to smear his opponents and focus on the issues important to Georgians are the reasons why Jon Ossoff’s numbers don’t lie.
— Caroline Stover, Atlanta
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