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Fox 13 Truth Test: ‘Doug vs Henry’ ad has facts, but message is fiction

Posted at 6:26 PM, Sep 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-03 18:27:12-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- Republican Congresswoman Mia Love’s campaign is running an ad claiming Democratic challenger Doug Owens is hiding his liberal leanings by contributing money to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama using his first name, “Henry.”

You can watch the ad in the video above, along with our fact check.

The ad is pretty easy to check. Doug Owens did give the money in 2007 and 2008, and he did sign his name Henry.

Those are clear facts.

But those facts don’t add up to the larger claim of the ad, which is that those donations show Owens has something to hide. Fox 13 News obtained copies of Owen’s checkbook, credit cards, and voter registration card.

Henry is his first name on banking and other official forms, so signing a donation form Henry is not evidence of an intent to hide. It’s also clear from family and friends that Owens has always been called Doug in conversation.

Other facts:

• The donations are eight years old
• Owens is the Democratic candidate and thus it’s silly to claim he’s hiding his leanings

So there are many facts in the advertisement, but we find the message of the ad, that Doug Owens is trying to conceal a more liberal side by using the name Henry, is fiction.