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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
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FACT BRIEF

Did US Rep. Lauren Boebert receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan for her restaurant in Colorado?

By Christiana Dillard
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NO

A restaurant in Ohio with a similar name as the Colorado representative's establishment received a Paycheck Protection Program loan under the federal government’s pandemic relief program. The assistance has no connection to Rep. Lauren Boebert's business.

A post on social media tried to use Boebert's words against her, quoting remarks she made to the Conservative Political Action Conference -- "We're here to tell government we don't want your benefits, we don't want your welfare" -- and then claiming she received a government-funded PPP loan for her restaurant.

There is no record of Boebert's restaurant -- an open-carry establishment called Shooters Grill, in Rifle, Colorado -- receiving a PPP loan.

CNN published a fact-check that potentially identified the source of the confusion. A restaurant in Ohio named Shooters Sports Grill LLC received a PPP loan in 2020.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Forbes 'Not On My Watch': Lauren Boebert Castigates Pelosi, Beto O'Rourke, Democrats In Fiery CPAC Speech
ProPublica Shooters Sports Grill LLC
CNN Fact check: Progressive pundits falsely claim Rep. Lauren Boebert got a Paycheck Protection Program loan
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.