As we head in to the 2016 presidential election cycle, it's a given that anything and everything said by any candidate is subject to scrutiny, and it doesn't matter how trivial the statement may seem.  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [D] was under that political microscope recently in Iowa, where she went after officially declaring as a presidential candidate.

In Iowa, Clinton was talking about family heritage and undocumented immigrants.  During the roundtable chat, Clinton said this:

"I think if we were to just go around this room, there are a lot of immigrant stories. All my grandparents, you know, came over here, and you know my grandfather went to work in a lace mill in Scranton, Pa., and worked there until he retired at 65. He started there when he was a teenager and just kept going. So I sit here and I think well you’re talking about the second, third generation. That’s me, that’s you."

Our partners at PolitiFact took a look at Clinton's claim regarding her grandparents.  PolitiFact reporter Joshua Gillin says that Clinton's claim rates FALSE on the Truth-O-Meter.  Gillin says that documentation disagrees with Clinton.

"We took a look at some paperwork and found a different story," said Gillin.  "Census and military records show that Hillary Clinton's paternal grandfather was indeed born outside of the United States, but his wife and Clinton's maternal grandparents were born here in the U.S."

Records show that Hugh Rodham, Sr., Clinton's paternal grandfather, was born in England.  His wife was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Clinton's maternal grandparents were born in Illinois.

When asked about the discrepancy, a Clinton spokesperson said that, indeed, a mistake had been made regarding the birthplaces of Clinton's grandparents.  Gillin said, that while Clinton was in error, they did take a look one generation back.  "Seven out of Hillary Clinton's great-grandparents were born outside of this country," said Gillin.  "Genealogy experts we talked to said that families pass down stories that sometimes get modified or blurred from actual facts.  Clinton may have grown up with the belief that her grandparents were immigrants, but that doesn't make her claim correct."

Because of the genealogical evidence available, Hillary Clinton's claim rates FALSE on PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter.

 

SOURCES: Hillary Clinton's grandparents all immigrants?