Truth-O-Meter vets candidates’ claims on taxes

With June’s primary election five weeks away, the Truth-O-Meter is taking a closer look at statements made by candidates for the U.S. Senate and House.

In case you missed it, the Truth-O-Meter on Sunday rated False a voting record claim by Joe Kyrillos, a Republican challenging incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and on Monday rated Mostly False a statement by U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman that Rep. Bill Pascrell voted to end  a tax, benefiting the wealthy.

Kyrillos claim

A state senator representing parts of Monmouth County, Kyrillos said in an April 17 statement on his website that he has never voted for a tax increase during his time in the state Legislature. The Truth-O-Meter, however, found that Kyrillos not only voted for a cigarette tax hike in 1997, he also voted for other measures that some of his fellow Republicans have labeled as tax increases.

Rothman claim

Rothman, who will vie with Pascrell on June 5 to represent a newly drawn congressional district, criticized Pascrell in an April 18 YouTube video about ending the estate tax. PolitiFact New Jersey found that Pascrell did vote in 2000 to end the tax, but reversed his decision and rejected the bill months later. Rothman also voted against the bill. But Rothman doesn’t say that Pascrell continued to vote against repealing the estate tax at least seven additional times since his initial vote.

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