Line in Democratic Missouri governor hopeful’s ad misleading

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A campaign ad for Democratic candidate for Missouri governor Nicole Galloway says she’s “recovered” hundreds of millions of dollars in government waste, fraud and abuse as state auditor.

But it’s more accurate to say she uncovered that much in poor spending of taxpayer dollars as state auditor, because her office wasn’t able to return most of it to taxpayers, The Kansas City Star reported.

The Galloway campaign ad quotes an article that says she’s recovered $350 million in government waste, fraud and abuse. But a narrator in the ad says she uncovered that amount since she took office in 2015.

Most of the money uncovered in Galloway’s audits was wasted, the newspaper reported. That means Galloway’s office can’t recover it and return it to taxpayers.

It’s more accurate to say Galloway has uncovered hundreds of millions in government waste, fraud and abuse. That’s also how Galloway phrased her accomplishments in a 2018 ad used in her campaign to keep her seat as auditor.

Galloway is trying to unseat Republican Gov. Mike Parson. The election is Nov. 3.

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