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PolitiFact Illinois writer

Matt Dietrich is a reporter with the Better Government Association, a non-partisan government watchdog group in Chicago and a staff writer for Politifact Illinois. He helped establish PolitiFact Illinois in 2016 while editor of Reboot Illinois, a website focused on Illinois state government. An award-winning journalist, Dietrich is the former editorial page editor of the State Journal Register in Springfield. He believes in holding our politicians accountable. Read Dietrich’s take on the leadership vacuum that sent Illinois sinking. Follow him on Twitter at @aquavelvetman.

Featured Statements

Joe Berrios
stated on December 11, 2017 in a campaign ad:

"(Fritz) Kaegi managed a fund that invested nearly $30 million in private prisons."

By Matt Dietrich • December 29, 2017
Bruce Rauner
stated on December 4, 2017 in a press conference:

"The candidates controlled by Madigan, all of them have said, ‘The answer to our problems is a massive income tax hike.’ "

By Matt Dietrich • December 14, 2017
JB Pritzker
stated on December 6, 2017 in a candidate forum:

"I released way more (tax) information than Bruce Rauner has."

By Matt Dietrich • December 11, 2017
Daniel Biss
stated on November 27, 2017 in a tweet:

These guys are now pretty much living up to the @BruceRauner standard. And falling dismally short of the @MittRomney standard. Even Romney released his full tax returns.

By Matt Dietrich • December 4, 2017
Michael Madigan
stated on October 31, 2017 in a committee hearing:

"The Legislative Ethics Commission continues to function."

By Matt Dietrich • November 9, 2017
Donald Trump
stated on November 7, 2017 in a press conference in South Korea:

Chicago is "the city with the strongest gun laws in our nation."

By Jon Greenberg • November 7, 2017
Eric Holcomb
stated on October 24, 2017 in a campaign ad:

"We’re growing union jobs faster than Illinois."

By Matt Dietrich • November 3, 2017
Bruce Rauner
stated on October 20, 2017 in a press conference:

"To be clear, all my investments are in a trust that I don’t control."

By Matt Dietrich • October 27, 2017
Rahm Emanuel
stated on October 18, 2017 in a speech:

"And over the last six years, Chicago’s economy has grown faster than the economies of New York City, Washington, D.C., or the national average."

By Matt Dietrich • October 20, 2017
Bruce Rauner
stated on September 28, 2017 in a press conference:

"I personally am pro-choice. I always have been. And I made no qualms about that when I was elected governor."

By Matt Dietrich • October 10, 2017

Wealthy Illinois candidates face tax disclosure minefield

By Matt Dietrich • November 21, 2017
Tammy Duckworth pega a Mark Kirk por sus logros militares

By Matt Dietrich • November 7, 2016
Does our Rauner-Trump fact-check still hold up?

By Marc Filippino • October 12, 2016
La acusación del recorte de fondos a la educación no es más acertado ahora que en el 2014

By Matt Dietrich • October 7, 2016
PolitiFact Illinois can check facts, can't make politicians listen

By Matt Dietrich • September 22, 2016