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Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold served as a Democratic U.S. Senator representing Wisconsin from 1992 until 2010, when he was defeated for re-election. An attorney, he previously served 10 years in the Wisconsin Legislature. Following his Senate defeat, he founded Progressives United, which says it mission is to "stand up to the exploding corporate influence in our political system by organizing and amplifying the voices of those who believe that corporations have too much power." Feingold is running against U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, the man who defeated him, in the 2016 election.

Russ Feingold Website

Scorecard

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Pants on Fire

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Latest Fact-Checks By Russ Feingold

Clear

Russ Feingold
stated on October 7, 2016 in a debate:

Social Security "was basically invented" at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; "that's where Franklin Roosevelt got the idea."

True

By Jonathan Anderson • December 16, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on October 27, 2016 in a meeting with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board.:

Says Ron Johnson "is benefiting from several super PACs, I am not."

False

By Cara Lombardo • November 3, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on October 26, 2016 in a radio ad:

Says Donald Trump and Ron Johnson "oppose a woman's right to choose and Johnson voted against the Violence Against Women Act."

Mostly True

By Tom Kertscher • November 3, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on October 6, 2016 in a meeting with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board.:

Says U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson "doesn't even believe that there's a man-made role in climate change."

Mostly True

By Cara Lombardo • October 31, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on September 6, 2016 in a radio ad:

Says Ron Johnson "has essentially done nothing" to fight heroin addiction and opioid abuse.

False

By Tom Kertscher • October 26, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on October 7, 2016 in an interview:

Says Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, has "paid to export throughout the world" Wahhabism -- "an extreme form of Islam" that basically teaches "Americans are the devil."

Mostly True

By Tom Kertscher • October 21, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on September 26, 2016 in a TV ad:

Says Ron Johnson "helped companies ship jobs overseas."

False

By Tom Kertscher • October 5, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on June 14, 2016 in in a campaign ad:

Says Ron Johnson gave himself a $10 million 'sweetheart corporate payout'

Half-True

By Eric Litke • September 9, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on June 14, 2016 in a TV ad:

Says Ron Johnson "voted five times for tax breaks that help companies ship Wisconsin jobs overseas."

False

By Alison Dirr • August 26, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on May 9, 2016 in a news conference:

Says Ron Johnson justifies his support of trade agreements by saying the U.S. has the Trade Adjustment Assistance program for displaced workers, but then he "voted to eliminate it."

Mostly False

By Jonathan Anderson • July 6, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on June 3, 2016 in a speech:

Says Ron Johnson referred to "The Lego Movie" as an "insidious anti-business conspiracy."

Half-True

By Eric Litke • June 24, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on June 3, 2016 in a speech:

The average student debt "coming out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is something like 28,000 dollars."

Mostly True

By Sarah Hauer • June 17, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on January 26, 2016 in an interview:

Says U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson wants to put 100,000 troops, including 25,000 Americans, "into the area where ISIS is."

Half-True

By Tom Kertscher • January 29, 2016

Russ Feingold
stated on November 12, 2015 in an interview:

"Ron Johnson said specifically that he hopes the first steps occur to privatize the" Veterans Administration.

Half-True

By Tom Kertscher • November 27, 2015

Russ Feingold
stated on August 13, 2015 in an interview:

On receiving campaign contributions from out-of-state donors

Full Flop

By James B. Nelson • October 28, 2015

Russ Feingold
stated on August 18, 2015 in a speech:

Says Ron Johnson "opposes entirely a federal minimum wage," except perhaps for "guest workers."

True

By Tom Kertscher • August 27, 2015

Russ Feingold
stated on June 5, 2015 in a speech:

Says U.S. Senate opponent Ron Johnson "is opposed to all government-assisted student loans."

Mostly True

By Tom Kertscher • June 19, 2015

Russ Feingold
stated on June 5, 2015 in a speech at the state Democratic Party convention:

"The United States still ranks 20th in the world in access to broadband -- over 50 percent below the best nations."

Half-True

By Lucas Daprile • June 17, 2015

Russ Feingold
stated on October 18, 2010 in a campaign rally:

Says Ron Johnson "likes to say there are too many lawyers in the Senate – 57. He’d be the 70th millionaire."

True

By Dave Umhoefer • October 22, 2010

Russ Feingold
stated on September 30, 2010 in campaign TV and radio ads:

"According to independent analysis, unfair trade deals have resulted in the loss of over 64,000 jobs in Wisconsin ... But Ron Johnson favors those deals."

Half-True

By Dave Umhoefer • October 12, 2010

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Latest Fact-Checks About Russ Feingold

U.S. Chamber of Commerce
stated on October 28, 2016 in an ad:

Says Russ Feingold said that with Obamacare, "we could keep our doctors and our plans, it was rated as the Lie of the Year."

True

By Tom Kertscher • November 4, 2016

Republican Party of Wisconsin
stated on October 14, 2016 in a radio ad:

Says Russ Feingold "formed his own political group to pay himself and his staff millions."

Half-True

By Eric Litke • November 3, 2016

Ron Johnson
stated on October 10, 2016 in a radio ad:

Says Russ Feingold "voted to raise taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors, he even tried to give Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants."

Mostly False

By Tom Kertscher • November 3, 2016

Ron Johnson
stated on October 6, 2016 in a campaign ad:

Says Russ Feingold "got paid $8,000 a lecture at Stanford University."

Mostly False

By Alison Dirr • November 2, 2016

Americans for Prosperity
stated on August 22, 2016 in a web ad:

Says Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Russ Feingold "voted over 250 times to raise taxes."

False

By Eric Litke • October 27, 2016

Ron Johnson
stated on August 9, 2016 in a TV ad:

"During his 18-year Senate career, (Russ Feingold) supported judges who voted to deny your individual Second Amendment right. … (He) promises to protect those rights, but that's not what his record shows."

Mostly False

By Jonathan Anderson • October 19, 2016

Republican Party of Wisconsin
stated on September 12, 2016 in a web ad:

"Just like Hillary Clinton," Russ Feingold had a "run-in with corruption and scandal by using a personal slush fund -- a.k.a. the Feingold Foundation -- while plotting another run for U.S. Senate."

Mostly False

By Tom Kertscher • October 14, 2016

Let America Work
stated on September 1, 2016 in a TV ad:

Says Russ Feingold was the "only senator to vote against Homeland Security."

False

By Tom Kertscher • September 21, 2016

Ron Johnson
stated on August 23, 2016 in in a campaign ad:

Says Russ Feingold broke his 1992 promise to always get the majority of funding from Wisconsin residents.

True

By Eric Litke • September 7, 2016

Ron Johnson
stated on July 19, 2016 in a speech at the Republican convention:

Says that as a U.S. senator, Russ Feingold "voted against authorizing our military 11 separate times."

Half-True

By Tom Kertscher • July 22, 2016

Freedom Partners Action Fund
stated on May 2, 2016 in a TV ad:

"Russ Feingold got a memo in 2009 that outlined veteran harm" at a Wisconsin VA facility "and nothing was done."

False

By Tom Kertscher • May 11, 2016

Ron Johnson
stated on December 17, 2015 in a television interview:

"I’ll be running against a career politician."

Mostly True

By James B. Nelson • February 4, 2016

National Republican Senatorial Committee
stated on November 10, 2015 in a TV ad:

Says Russ Feingold "wanted to get money out of politics. Now he's profiting from that same dark money."

Half-True

By Tom Kertscher • November 27, 2015

National Republican Senatorial Committee
stated on August 7, 2015 in a news release:

Says Russ Feingold cast the "deciding vote" for the "largest tax increase" in history

Mostly False

By Lucas Daprile • August 31, 2015

Ron Johnson
stated on May 19, 2015 in an interview:

Says Democratic challenger Russ Feingold "was the deciding vote on Obamacare."

Mostly False

By Tom Kertscher • May 27, 2015

National Republican Senatorial Committee
stated on May 14, 2015 in a tweet:

Democrat "Russ Feingold announced his Wisconsin Senate run today from…California."

Pants on Fire!

By James B. Nelson • May 22, 2015

Ron Johnson
stated on October 29, 2010 in an automated phone message, as well as a radio ad, news releases and debates:

Says Russ Feingold voted to give Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants

False

By Dave Umhoefer • November 1, 2010

Ron Johnson
stated on September 28, 2010 in a campaign TV ad:

"There are 100 members of the U.S. Senate. Fifty-seven of them, including Russ Feingold, are lawyers. There are zero manufacturers and one accountant."

Mostly True

By Dave Umhoefer • October 22, 2010

Ron Johnson
stated on October 10, 2010 in a campaign TV ad:

Says Russ Feingold supported a stimulus plan that allowed a company to create 3,000 jobs in China.

Mostly False

By Dave Umhoefer • October 19, 2010

Ron Johnson
stated on October 7, 2010 in campaign literature mailed to state residents:

Says "Russ Feingold cut Medicare by $523 billion."

Mostly False

By Dave Umhoefer • October 8, 2010

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