Pete Buttigieg campaign did not pay for Iowa Caucus app

CLAIM: Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s campaign funded the creation of the app that was used to tally votes during the Iowa Caucus.



AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Buttigieg’s campaign paid the company that created the app that failed during the Iowa Caucus for different technology services.



THE FACTS: Social media posts are claiming that Buttigieg’s campaign either funded or created the app used during the Iowa Caucus that was the cause of major delay in voting results.



Buttigieg’s campaign paid Shadow Inc., the company behind the Iowa Caucus app, $42,500 in July for text messaging software, campaign finance records show. The software was not related to that developed for the Iowa Caucus.



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In addition, the Buttigieg campaign did not help develop the app used in Iowa, a campaign spokesman confirmed Tuesday to the AP.



Other candidates and Democratic parties, including Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and the Texas Democratic Party have also contracted with Shadow Inc. in the past for services similar to those purchased by the Buttigieg campaign, federal campaign finance data shows.



In a statement on Twitter, Shadow Inc. apologized for the delay in results and confirmed that it “contracted with the Iowa Democratic Party to build a caucus reporting mobile for local officials to use” during Monday’s caucus.



State fundraising reports from Iowa’s Democratic Party show party officials paid Shadow Inc. more than $63,000 in November and December for “professional fees.”

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This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.



Here’s more information on Facebook’s fact-checking program: https://www.facebook.com/help/1952307158131536

