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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" official-portrait/6bf029c158b50f6bf01d20a829d8828c.jpg\\") ![](\\" official-portrait/de43154da15e43e00eea6e32aec9a166.jpg\\") Rob Portman stated on October 17, 2016 in at a debate in Columbus, Ohio: Says Sen. Rob Portman says Ted Strickland earned $400,000 a year as a lobbyist after leaving Ohio for Washington. ![\\"true\\"](\\" half-true/6479cbc723379f0ee49c269b0b9790b7.jpg.\\") ![\\"half- true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Ohio * Wealth * Workers * Rob Portman ![\\"via](\\" via TedStrickland.com By Nadia Pflaum October 20, 2016 # Portman, Strickland duel over who\'s richer There were times during the second debate between Sen. Rob Portman and former Gov. Ted Strickland in which the two politicians quibbled over who’s richer. The feuding over fat wallets emerged in the first debate when Strickland announced that he’d calculated Portman’s hourly earnings at $333.57, after factoring in assets and his $174,000 salary as a U.S. senator. Strickland, a Democrat, juxtaposed the dollar figure with Portman’s stance against raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Portman didn’t dispute the figure, but in the second matchup between the candidates, he hit back with a calculation of his own. \"(Strickland) went to Washington, D.C., and he became a lobbyist,\" Portman said. \"He made $400,000 a year. So he wasn’t living on minimum wage, but he was working against the interests of Ohioans, including the people he used to represent.\" Strickland sounded surprised, responding, \"The senator said I made $400,000. My ... oh, senator, that’s a big whopper. I’ve never made $400,000 in my life.\" We decided to take a look at Strickland’s earnings. Was he really a lobbyist pulling in $400,000? There are some issues with Portman’s attack. But he isn’t far off with Strickland’s post-Congress earnings, if you’re willing to include a variety of compensation into the picture. The first issue with Portman’s claim: Strickland was never a registered lobbyist. After losing his re-election bid to Gov. John Kasich, Strickland took a job with the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. An amended 2015 financial disclosure filing shows that Strickland earned $199,125 between April 2014 to March 2015. Strickland headed up the political action fund for the think tank. His position is listed as \"director/counselor\" on the group’s tax forms. So technically, he was not a lobbyist himself, but he oversaw the group’s lobbying arm. When asked why Portman called Strickland a lobbyist, campaign spokesperson Michawn Rich said, \"He did not misspeak. Ted ran the lobbying arm of the Center for American Progress. It\'s a fact.\" #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" JD Vance stated on August 25, 2024 in an interview on NBC\'s \"Meet the Press\" “Anything that you lose on the tariff from the perspective of the consumer, you gain in higher wages, so you\'re ultimately much better off.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • August 29, 2024 The second problem is that the earnings in question are not as straightforward as a $400,000 salary. You reach that amount by counting income from various jobs and retirement funds. The Center for American Progress Action Fund reports on its 2014 IRS Form 990 that Strickland earned \"other compensation\" in the amount of $13,623. The 990 form reports compensation over nine months, and Strickland was there for a year. So if you divide $13,623 by nine, monthly compensation comes to $1,513. Accounting for a year’s time in that position, Strickland would have made about $18,164 in addition to the reported $199,125 income. Strickland also disclosed $20,000 in earnings from consulting at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and $25,000 from working as a mediator with the Washington law firm Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. He reported $36,700 from his state retirement, and $25,500 from a PNC Bank-administered IRA fund. Strickland is also earning a federal pension from his 12 years in Congress, which is calculated by taking an average of the three-highest salaried years in Congress, multiplying the average by 1.7 percent, and multiplying the result by years of congressional service. Strickland’s three highest-earning years in office would have been 2004, 2005, and 2006, so the average comes to $161,800. Strickland was in Congress for 12 years, and 12 x 1.7 percent equals 20.4 percent. We will estimate Strickland’s pension, then, to be about $33,000 a year. (No more math after this, okay?) Strickland salaryCreate your own infographics David Bergstein, spokesperson for Strickland’s campaign, disagrees that retirement earnings should be included as part of Strickland’s earnings in Washington. Subtracting the IRA and retirement fund, Strickland’s total annual earnings from a few gigs would be $295,289 — or $141.97 an hour. Our ruling Portman said Strickland \"went to Washington, D.C., and he became a lobbyist. He made $400,000 a year.\" Technically Strickland wasn’t a lobbyist; he oversaw a liberal think tank’s lobbying and activism arm. As for his income, if you add his disclosed earnings, figures from public IRS forms and retirement income, you get an estimate around $357,000. Not everyone would tally up annual wealth this way. Portman’s statement is partially accurate but a bit sloppy in the details, so we rate his statement Half True. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Interview, Michawn Rich, spokesperson, Rob Portman for Senate, Oct. 19, 2016 Interview, David Bergstein, Ted Strickland campaign, Oct. 19, 2016 2014 Form 990, Center for American Progress Action Fund Cleveland.com, \"Ted Strickland earned $250,000 at think tank,\" Aug. 12, 2015 Columbus Dispatch, \"Ted Strickland releases tax returns,\" April 28, 2010 Columbus Dispatch: \"Portman: Minimum wage plan won’t work,\" Feb. 15, 2014 Cincinnati Enquirer, \"Portman, Strickland clash in Columbus debate,\" Oct. 17, 2016 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Nadia Pflaum ![](\\" ![](\\" Ohio Republican Party stated on October 28, 2016 in a campaign mailer: \"Casey Weinstein: No faith in our military\" ... \"When some of our cadets wanted to watch a religious film, Casey Weinstein sued the U.S. military. Sued our soldiers?\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • November 7, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on September 30, 2016 in an online article: \"Tens of thousands of fraudulent Clinton votes found in Ohio warehouse.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • November 1, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on October 22, 2016 in a rally outside Cleveland: Says Ohio’s I-X Center \"used to be a great plant,\" but \"thousands of people of worked here, and they left\" when their jobs were moved overseas. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • October 31, 2016 ![](\\" official-portrait/6bf029c158b50f6bf01d20a829d8828c.jpg\\") ![](\\" official-portrait/de43154da15e43e00eea6e32aec9a166.jpg\\") Rob Portman stated on October 20, 2016 in the Ohio Senate debate: Says Ted Strickland \"in this campaign bragged about his A-plus rating with the NRA. ... He has said he has a mixed and spotty record on this issue and that he can be criticized for it. Those are his words, not mine. So I don’t know where he is on this issue.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • October 21, 2016 ![](\\" official-portrait/6bf029c158b50f6bf01d20a829d8828c.jpg\\") ![](\\" official-portrait/de43154da15e43e00eea6e32aec9a166.jpg\\") Rob Portman stated on October 17, 2016 in at a debate in Columbus, Ohio: Says Sen. Rob Portman says Ted Strickland earned $400,000 a year as a lobbyist after leaving Ohio for Washington. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • October 20, 2016 ![](\\" ted-strickland____/81c1b4baa950ba5965a5fdfc754ff5f9.jpg\\") ![](\\" ted-strickland____/786d3a8b57ebc4eca1b06825b7524ad1.jpg\\") Ted Strickland stated on October 14, 2016 in in a Ohio senatorial candidate debate: Says Sen. Rob Portman said, \"It would be irresponsible not to cut Medicare.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • October 20, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" ClearPath Action Fund stated on September 28, 2016 in a campaign ad: Says \"Rob Portman voted for the bipartisan bill to affirm climate change is real, humans significantly contribute to it and it needs to be addressed.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • October 10, 2016 ![](\\" ted-strickland____/81c1b4baa950ba5965a5fdfc754ff5f9.jpg\\") ![](\\" ted-strickland____/786d3a8b57ebc4eca1b06825b7524ad1.jpg\\") Ted Strickland stated on September 21, 2016 in a campaign ad: Says Rob Portman \"even voted to allow people on the terrorism watch list to buy guns.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • September 29, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 8, 2016 in a rally in Cleveland: \"We spend more per student than almost any other major country in the world.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • September 21, 2016 ![](\\" mugs-mug- independentgroup____________________/41dfed38296fe3f48d11ff286b0da1cc.jpg\\") ![](\\" mugs-mug- independentgroup____________________/df4eaf56ef02f0fe8dcb1410d3a2d2a7.jpg\\") American Unity PAC stated on August 30, 2016 in a campaign ad: Says Ted Strickland supported giving $150 billion to Iranian regime that persecutes women, Christians and gays. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • September 15, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" U.S. Chamber of Commerce stated on August 12, 2016 in a campaign ad : \"As governor, Ted Strickland left only 89 cents in Ohio’s rainy day fund.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • September 8, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" National Republican Senatorial Committee stated on August 18, 2016 in \"Flush,\" a campaign ad : \"And while (Ted) Strickland proposed cuts for services for children, he wasted over $250,000 remodeling his bathrooms at the governor’s mansion.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • September 1, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 29, 2016 in an image shared on social media from NaturalNews.com: As the number of vaccines administered to children has increased in the United States, so has the autism rate. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nadia Pflaum • August 29, 2016 ![](\\" mugs-donkey/ac9cfb0dcf8dcb50888edccc72adfae6.jpg\\") ![](\\" mugs-donkey/1b0a94aa5ab4fad0c38136fe7c2770e3.jpg\\") Ohio Democratic Party stated on August 12, 2016 in an online ad campaign, \"The Portman Files\": \"Who would sign up to speak for a (Haitian) dictator? Rob Portman.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • August 23, 2016 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 15, 2016 in viral image circulating on the internet: Says there were multiple instances of voter fraud in Wood County, Ohio. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Nadia Pflaum • August 16, 2016 ### Portman, Strickland duel over who\'s richer * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 9, 2024 in a post: Video shows Tim Walz “falsely claims that being gay in Nebraska is ‘illegal’\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 10, 2024 in social media posts: Vice President Kamala Harris wore NOVA H1 audio earrings in the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 10, 2024 in a debate: “As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, for the first time this century.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 9, 2024 in an X post: \"Dallas County Texas (tells) election workers to (illegally) lie on registration & use a church address to register homeless people to vote!” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 7, 2024 in a post: CNN reported that the Apalachee High School shooting suspect was motivated by a “lack of trans acceptance.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 2, 2024 in an Instagram post: Image shows “Michelle Obama’s necklace from DNC speech” said “Mike.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 10, 2024 in at a Sept. 10 presidential debate: \"In Springfield (Ohio), they\'re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they\'re eating the cats. They\'re eating, they\'re eating the pets of the people that live there.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 6, 2024 in in social media posts: Haitian immigrants are eating pets and wildlife in Springfield, Ohio. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 2, 2024 in social media posts: The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is on the way to Aurora, Colorado, to confront a Venezuelan gang. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Loreben Tuquero • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on July 20, 2024 in remarks at a fundraiser in Provincetown, Mass.: Donald Trump “took away protections against discrimination for LGBTQ patients under the Affordable Care Act.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Grace Abels • September 9, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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Says Sen Rob Portman says Ted Strickland earned 400000 a year as a lobbyist after leaving Ohio for Washington