Once again, GOP candidate Paul Junge is using his public platform to mislead Michiganders in order to gain traction for his campaign. Junge received a “Mostly False” fact-check from the Detroit Free Press for “exaggerating” and “distorting” information on the impact of fracking.
Detroit Free Press Fact Check:
Clara Hendrickson
“[Junge’s claim] exaggerates both Biden’s position on fracking and the impact banning fracking would have on Michigan’s economy.
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The Junge campaign said that a ban on fracking would eliminate 516,000 Michigan jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only 1,577 workers in Michigan were employed in natural-gas extraction, oil and gas drilling, and related support activities in 2019.
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[I]t is unlikely a ban on fracking would cost the state’s economy more than 500,000 jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity over the next five years.
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Our ruling
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We rate this statement Mostly False.”
Reminder: This isn’t the first time Junge has used his platform to mislead the public. Last month, Junge hosted a campaign event in which his guest spread multiple falsehoods about coronavirus, including stating the virus was no more serious than the seasonal flu and that hospitals were inflating the number of COVID-19 deaths in order to “get a higher payment.”
“Distorting facts and information has unfortunately become par for the course for Paul Junge – from ‘exaggerating’ claims on environmental and economic issues to using his campaign platform to elevate misinformation about coronavirus. Michiganders deserve better than a third-rate politician who risks endangering the public for his celebrity,” said DCCC Spokesperson Courtney Rice.
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