Claim: “14,000 American workers laid off.” [text on screen]
Ad(s): “Briefcase”
Sponsor(s): Priorities USA Action
Air Dates: July 3 – Sept. 4
Total Estimated Spending On This Claim: $784,500 ($2,353,501 Total)
Markets: Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus (OH), Denver, Harrisburg, Norfolk, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Tampa, Wilkes Barre
Washington Post The Fact Checker Summary: “As for that precise number of layoffs – 14,000 – Priorities USA provided a long list of news articles citing job losses for Bain companies. But this is hardly the best method for producing totals, since it could easily lead to double counting. The reports weren’t always clear about where and when the cuts took place, after all… Let’s pretend for the sake of argument that Priorities USA cited perfect numbers. Even then, Bain’s companies would have lost 4,200 jobs while Romney served as the firm’s chief executive – from 1984 until February 1999. The rest of the layoffs occurred after he left, sometimes as long as five years later, as was the case with Anthony Crane. (Democrats sometimes exploit a gray area in Romney’s departure from Bain, but The Fact Checker, FactCheck.org and Fortune magazine have concluded he effectively left in early 1999.)”