The Poynter Institute

English Español

Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

I would like to contribute

Did Wendy's founder flee Ohio 'on his deathbed'?

National

PolitiFact Ohio explored whether Dave Thomas fled to Florida to avoid Ohio's estate tax.

Martha M. Hamilton

By Martha M. Hamilton March 2, 2011

Ohio state Rep. Jay Hottinger, a leader of the drive to repeal the state's estate taxes, didn't have numbers to cite when he claimed that a "shockingly high number of Ohioans leave because of the tax."

But he did cite an example: "Dave Thomas left the state literally on his deathbed to avoid the estate tax," Hottinger said of the founder of the Wendy's chain.

PolitiFact Ohio put that to the Truth-O-Meter and found the exit wasn't quite so hasty.

See Truth-O-Meter item

stated on October 27, 2010 in an interview on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart":

"Most of the jobs that we lost were lost before the economic policies we put in place had any effect."

true

true

stated on August 23, 2010 in an opinion column in "The Washington Examiner":

"Obama’s stimulus, passed in his first month in office, will cost more than the entire Iraq War."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on July 7, 2010 in a local radio interview:

On whether BP's $20 billion fund to compensate oil spill victims is "a slush fund."

full-flop

full-flop

stated on July 1, 2010 in a Fox News interview with Greta Van Susteren:

"Law enforcement in the state of Arizona supports" the state's new immigration law.

half-true

half-true

stated on August 12, 2011 in a column in "POLITICO":

Says Rick Perry flip-flopped on gay marriage by first saying it was a state’s rights issue and then saying he was in favor of a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

barely-true

barely-true

stated on July 29, 2011 in an e-mail:

"If the debt ceiling is surpassed, our nation will not go into default as some suggest."

half-true

half-true

stated on February 16, 2011 in press release, Rep. Betty McCollum:

Says the Army is spending $7 million to sponsor a NASCAR team.

true

true

stated on December 20, 2010 in Washington, D.C.:

"CEOs now earn 431 times what their workers earn."

half-true

half-true

stated on October 27, 2010 in an interview on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart":

"Most of the jobs that we lost were lost before the economic policies we put in place had any effect."

true

true

stated on August 23, 2010 in an opinion column in "The Washington Examiner":

"Obama’s stimulus, passed in his first month in office, will cost more than the entire Iraq War."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on July 7, 2010 in a local radio interview:

On whether BP's $20 billion fund to compensate oil spill victims is "a slush fund."

full-flop

full-flop

stated on July 1, 2010 in a Fox News interview with Greta Van Susteren:

"Law enforcement in the state of Arizona supports" the state's new immigration law.

half-true

half-true

stated on August 12, 2011 in a column in "POLITICO":

Says Rick Perry flip-flopped on gay marriage by first saying it was a state’s rights issue and then saying he was in favor of a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

barely-true

barely-true

stated on July 29, 2011 in an e-mail:

"If the debt ceiling is surpassed, our nation will not go into default as some suggest."

half-true

half-true

stated on February 16, 2011 in press release, Rep. Betty McCollum:

Says the Army is spending $7 million to sponsor a NASCAR team.

true

true

stated on December 20, 2010 in Washington, D.C.:

"CEOs now earn 431 times what their workers earn."

half-true

half-true

X posts
stated on June 2, 2025 in an X post:

Target “opts out of Pride month and replaced its Pride collection with an America First Summer display.”

By Gabrielle Lazor • June 6, 2025
Liz Oyer
stated on April 30, 2025 in a TikTok post:

“President Trump has granted pardons that have wiped out over $1 billion in debts owed by wealthy Americans who have committed fraud and broken the law.”

By Louis Jacobson • June 6, 2025
Russell Vought
stated on June 1, 2025 in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union":

“One out of every $5 or $6 in Medicaid (payments) is improper.”

By Louis Jacobson • June 4, 2025
Kathy Hochul
stated on May 5, 2025 in a television interview:

The state budget contains the largest middle class tax cut in 70 years.

By Jill Terreri Ramos • June 1, 2025
Viral image
stated on May 26, 2025 in an X post:

Image shows Ben & Jerry’s is selling “Free Palestine” and “From the River to Sea” ice cream flavors.

By Maria Briceño • May 30, 2025
Brenden Jones
stated on April 2, 2025 in a speech:

“Contractors are being rejected” from providing Hurricane Helene relief in North Carolina because of racial “quotas” required by the state.

By Paul Specht • May 30, 2025
Mike Johnson
stated on May 25, 2025 in a "Face the Nation" episode:

“We are not cutting” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

By Loreben Tuquero • May 29, 2025
Donald Trump
stated on May 25, 2025 in a press gaggle:

Harvard University “refuse(s) to tell us” who its international students are.

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • May 28, 2025
TikTok posts
stated on May 24, 2025 in una publicación en TikTok:

El gobernador de Florida Ron DeSantis firmó ley que prohíbe a inmigrantes ilegalmente en el país echar gasolina.

By Maria Briceño • May 28, 2025
Social Media
stated on May 25, 2025 in social media posts:

The Republican tax and spending bill will let President Donald Trump “delay or cancel elections — legally.”

By Amy Sherman • May 28, 2025

✕