Fact Checker

Public Figure Fact Checker

Identify potential misinformation and fact-check claims made by public figures with structured true/false output and correction recommendations.

When to use

Trigger when users request:

• "Fact-check this document"
• "Verify these specifications"
• "Check if this information is still accurate"
• "Update outdated data in this claim"
• "Validate the claims in this section"

Workflow

Copy this checklist to track progress:

Public Figure Fact-Check Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Extract verifiable claims
- [ ] Step 2: Search Google Fact Check Tools (MANDATORY)
- [ ] Step 3: Search additional authoritative sources
- [ ] Step 4: Generate structured fact-check report

Step 1: Extract verifiable claims

Identify specific factual statements made by the public figure:

Target claim types:

• Statistical data and numbers
• Historical events and dates
• Scientific or medical statements
• Financial figures and company data
• Policy positions and voting records
• Biographical information

Extract format:

CLAIM: [Exact quote from public figure]
CONTEXT: [When/where it was said]
TYPE: [Statistical/Historical/Scientific/etc.]

Step 2: Search Google Fact Check Tools (MANDATORY)

REQUIRED: Always start with Google Fact Check Tools before other sources

1. Google Fact Check Explorer: Search for the exact claim or similar statements
2. Review existing fact-checks: Check if the claim has been previously verified
3. Analyze ClaimReview data: Look for structured fact-check results
4. Cross-reference sources: Note which fact-checkers have covered this topic

If Google Fact Check Tools shows existing fact-checks:

• Review the verdict and methodology
• Check if the context matches current claim
• Verify the credibility of the fact-checking organization
• Use as primary reference point for your analysis

If no existing fact-checks found:

• Proceed to Step 3 for original verification
• Note in report that this is a new claim requiring fresh fact-checking

Step 3: Search additional authoritative sources

For each claim, search official and credible sources:

Government data:

• Official statistics (census.gov, bls.gov, cdc.gov)
• Government databases and reports
• Congressional voting records
• Court documents and legal filings

Academic and research:

• Peer-reviewed studies
• University research institutions
• Scientific journals and publications
• Medical organizations (WHO, CDC, FDA)

Financial and business:

• SEC filings and annual reports
• Financial news from established outlets
• Company press releases
• Stock market data

Historical verification:

• Historical archives and records
• Newspaper archives
• Documentary evidence
• Timeline verification from multiple sources

Step 4: Generate structured fact-check report

Output format for each claim:

## FACT-CHECK RESULT

### CLAIM #[N]
**Statement:** "[Exact quote]"
**Source:** [Public figure name] on [date/platform]
**Category:** [Statistical/Historical/Scientific/Financial/Policy]

**VERDICT:** ✅ TRUE / ❌ FALSE / ⚠️ MISLEADING / ❓ UNVERIFIABLE

**VERIFICATION:**
- **Google Fact Check Result:** [Run: python scripts/google_fact_checker.py "claim text"]
- **Primary Source:** [Authoritative source URL]
- **Supporting Sources:** [Additional verification sources]
- **Date Checked:** [Current date]

**ANALYSIS:**
[Brief explanation of why the claim is true/false/misleading]

**CORRECTION (if applicable):**
**Accurate Statement:** "[Corrected version of the claim]"
**Key Difference:** [What was wrong/misleading about original]

Source Evaluation Guidelines

Authoritative Sources (High Priority)

1. Google Fact Check Tools - MANDATORY first step for all claims
2. Government agencies - Official statistics, records, databases
3. Academic institutions - Peer-reviewed research, university studies
4. Medical organizations - WHO, CDC, FDA, medical journals
5. Financial regulators - SEC filings, central bank data
6. News organizations - Established outlets with fact-checking standards
7. Other fact-checking platforms - Snopes, PolitiFact, FactCheck.org (as secondary verification)

Use with Caution

• Corporate press releases (may contain bias)
• Think tank reports (check funding sources)
• Social media posts (even from experts)
• Single-source claims

Red Flags

• No authoritative source available
• Google Fact Check Tools returns contradictory results
• Sources contradict each other significantly
• Only partisan sources support the claim
• Information is very recent with limited verification

CRITICAL RULE: Never complete a fact-check without consulting Google Fact Check Tools first

Utility Scripts

To automate Google Fact Checker API requests, use the simplified script:

Simple Google Fact Check Query

python scripts/google_fact_checker.py "Senator X said unemployment dropped 40% during his term"

Returns raw string format:

• Multiple lines for top 5 results: #N: InformationContent
• NO_RESULTS - if no existing fact-checks
• ERROR: message - if API error occurred

Example outputs:

#1: Donald Trump was born in the United States | Birth certificate confirms he was born in New York City | Original claim: Trump was born in USA
#2: Official records verify Trump's birthplace as New York | Original claim: Donald Trump birthplace question
#3: Birth certificate authentic and valid | Multiple sources confirm NYC birth
NO_RESULTS
ERROR: API key not found

Examples

Example 1: Political Statistical Claim

User request: "Fact-check: 'Senator X said unemployment dropped 40% during his term'"

Output:

## FACT-CHECK RESULT

### CLAIM #1
**Statement:** "Unemployment dropped 40% during my term in office"
**Source:** Senator X on Twitter, January 8, 2026
**Category:** Statistical

**VERDICT:** ⚠️ MISLEADING

**VERIFICATION:**
- **Google Fact Check Result:** #1: Unemployment claim misleading - shows 2.1 percentage point decrease, not 40% absolute drop | Original claim: Unemployment dropped 40% during term
#2: Economic statistics misrepresented in political statement | Original claim: Similar unemployment claim
- **Primary Source:** Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data
- **Supporting Sources:** Federal Reserve economic data, state employment records
- **Date Checked:** January 11, 2026

**ANALYSIS:**
Unemployment did decrease during the senator's term, but only by 2.1 percentage points (from 5.3% to 3.2%), which represents a 40% relative decrease but not an absolute 40% drop.

**CORRECTION:**
**Accurate Statement:** "Unemployment decreased by 2.1 percentage points (a 40% relative reduction) during my term"
**Key Difference:** Original statement implies much larger absolute decrease than actually occurred

Example 2: CEO Business Claim

User request: "Verify: 'Our company's revenue grew 500% last year'"

Output:

## FACT-CHECK RESULT

### CLAIM #1
**Statement:** "Our company's revenue grew 500% last year"
**Source:** CEO Jane Doe at investor conference, January 2026
**Category:** Financial

**VERDICT:** ✅ TRUE

**VERIFICATION:**
- **Google Fact Check Result:** NO_RESULTS
- **Primary Source:** Company's SEC 10-K filing
- **Supporting Sources:** Annual report, audited financial statements
- **Date Checked:** January 11, 2026

**ANALYSIS:**
SEC filings confirm revenue increased from $2M in 2024 to $12M in 2025, representing exactly a 500% increase.

**CORRECTION:** None needed - claim is accurate.

Quality checklist

Before completing fact-check:

• All factual claims extracted with exact quotes
• Google Fact Check Tools consulted FIRST (MANDATORY)
• Each claim verified against authoritative sources
• Verdict clearly stated (TRUE/FALSE/MISLEADING/UNVERIFIABLE)
• Sources are credible and current
• Analysis explains the reasoning
• Corrections provided for false/misleading claims
• Temporal context included where relevant

Limitations

This skill cannot:

• Verify future predictions or speculation
• Determine subjective truth in opinion-based statements
• Access private or confidential information
• Resolve disputes where authoritative sources disagree
• Complete fact-checks without using Google Fact Check Tools

For such cases:

• Mark as ❓ UNVERIFIABLE
• Note the limitation in analysis
• Suggest seeking additional expert consultation
• Always include Google Fact Check Tools results even if no matches found

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