Fact Check: Peters Hit on DeMaio and Equal Pay
Statement:DeMaios funded by Tea Party extremists, who oppose pay fairness for women. DeMaios pledged to support their extreme agenda in Congress, declares a television ad from Rep. Scott Peters in his congressional campaign against Carl DeMaio.
Determination: Misleading
Analysis: The ad begins with a young woman shuffling her kids off to school and then sitting down at a desk in her office. She opens her paycheck as the narrator notes that women make only 77 percent of what men do. The woman frowns and types Carl DeMaios name into a search engine.
The ad says that if DeMaios elected to Congress, he would make things worse for women.
DeMaios funded by Tea Party extremists, who oppose pay fairness for women, the ad says. DeMaios pledged to support their extreme agenda in Congress.
Then DeMaios opponent, Rep. Scott Peters, appears, noting that he supports equal pay for women.
The ads message is clear: Peters backs equal pay laws for women. DeMaio opposes them.
Except thats not true. And Peters attempts to tie DeMaio to equal pay opponents are misleading.
A close parsing of the ad shows that it never explicitly says DeMaio doesnt support equal pay laws. It says DeMaios campaign donors dont support equal pay laws. (Well put aside the question of whether DeMaios funders are Tea Party extremists.)
Specifically, were talking here about a bill called the Paycheck Fairness Act. Heres how Vox describes it:
See the article here:
Fact Check: Peters Hit on DeMaio and Equal Pay