Running for mayor of San Diego isn’t Bob Filner’s first political contest and he wants voters to know it. He touts having more experience in elected office than his competitors.
At a recent mayoral forum, Filner claimed that San Diego voters have elected him 25 times and he did it all without support from special interests. Even in the current race for mayor, Filner said he’s special interest-free.
In this edition of Fact Check TV, Andrew Donohue and Scott Lewis examine Filner’s long political track record and try to figure out whether his two claims are true.
Filner did not respond to our questions during the reporting of this Fact Check, but after we published the story, he corrected himself during an interview.
“Check the facts on this,” Filner told City Hall reporter Liam Dillon. “I have won 25 elections in this city. I should have said that instead of being elected 25 times. I have won 25 elections. We have always had enough money.”
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New episodes of Fact Check TV appear on NBC 7 San Diego every Friday during the 6 p.m. newscast and our website the following Monday. If you want us to Fact Check a claim, just send me an email explaining the statement and why it merits review.
Keegan Kyle is a news reporter for voiceofsandiego.org. He writes about local government, creates infographics and handles the Fact Check Blog. What should he write about next?
Please contact him directly at keegan.kyle@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5668. You can also find him on Twitter (@keegankyle) and Facebook.
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