Fox's claim that Dems are “trying to change Massachusetts law” to delay vote certification undermined by reports

Written by Matt McLaughlin

Published

During an interview with Scott Brown, the Republican candidate in the special election for the open Massachusetts seat in the U.S. Senate, Fox News' Martha MacCallum falsely claimed that Democrats are “pushing to change Massachusetts law now, according to reports,” so that Brown “can't be sworn in until after the health care vote.” MacCallum cited only unnamed “reports” to support her claim, but in fact, the Boston Herald article that first referenced Brown's certification reported that Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said the election results could be delayed “for absentee and military ballots to come in” -- not due to any change in Massachusetts law.

MacCallum claims that “they're trying to change Massachusetts law”

MacCallum claims Dems “are pushing to change the state law now, according to reports, so that [Brown] won't be able to be sworn in if he were to win.” From the January 12 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:

MacCALLUM: Democrats are getting worried that Republican Steve [sic] Brown may actually have a chance in that long-held Democratic seat against the contender, the attorney general for Massachusetts, who is the candidate Martha Coakley. She's the Democrat who is running. They are pushing to change the state law now, according to reports, so that he won't be able to be sworn in if he were to win -- Scott Brown -- until after the health care vote. Interesting.

No law change sought: Secretary of Commonwealth's Office reportedly has said delay required for “absentee and military ballots.” Undermining MacCallum's baseless assertion, no law change is reportedly being sought in Massachusetts with regard to the January 19 special election for the Senate seat. The Boston Herald reported that Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, stated that "[b]ecause it's a federal election ... [w]e'd have to wait 10 days for absentee and military ballots to come in." In a January 13 article, the Associated Press reported that “Secretary of State William Galvin says state law gives cities and towns up to 15 days to certify their results.”