Fact check/Is Jon Ossoff a small business owner?
Fact check: Is Jon Ossoff a small business owner?
Jon Ossoff
Jon Ossoff is the Democratic candidate vying to fill the vacancy in Georgia's 6th Congressional District. His campaign website describes Ossoff as "a small business owner, executive, and entrepreneur — the CEO of a company that produces documentaries investigating organized crime and political corruption."[1] Political opponents are questioning his business experience. Anonymous author "streiff," a senior contributing editor for the conservative blog RedState, recently claimed that "Ossoff is a fraud on many levels. He’s claimed to be a small business owner (not)."[2][3] America Rising PAC, on its website, claimed, "Either Ossoff has clearly inflated his small business experience to better his political prospects, or, as a fellow Democrat pointed out, he just doesn’t understand the issues facing American business owners."[4]
Is Jon Ossoff a small business owner?
Thomas Jonathan Ossoff is registered with the United Kingdom government as the managing director of Insight TWI Ltd., a London-based documentary film company. The documents filed with Companies House, the UK government agency, indicate that Thomas Jonathan Ossoff owned 50 percent of the company shares as of September 16, 2016. Insight TWI Ltd. qualifies as a small business under UK law, according to Companies House documents.[5][6][7]
Background
A runoff election on June 20 will determine who will represent Georgia's 6th Congressional District, which includes the northern suburbs of Atlanta. The seat was vacated after Tom Price was appointed as U.S. secretary of health and human services.[8]
A primary took place on April 18 featuring 11 Republicans, five Democrats, and two independents. Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers, Ossoff and Karen Handel (R), advanced to the runoff election.[8]
Ossoff received a bachelor's degree in foreign service from Georgetown University and a master's degree in international political economy from the London School of Economics.[9]
Small business ownership
Ossoff's campaign website states, "Jon is a small business owner, executive, and entrepreneur — the CEO of a company that produces documentaries investigating organized crime and political corruption."[1]
Documents filed with Companies House, a UK government agency, indicate that Thomas Jonathan Ossoff owned 50 percent of the 100 shares of Insight TWI as of September 16, 2016, the date the latest confirmation statement, or “annual return,” financial document was filed. Co-director and company founder Ron McCullagh owns the other 50 percent, according to the documents.[5][10]
Insight TWI is a London-based production company that according to its website "produces world-class documentary films and television programmes, specializing in fresh, daring factual content and high-impact journalism."[11]
According to documents filed with the UK government, Ossoff was appointed as director of Insight TWI in August 2013, and as managing director in September 2013.[12][13]
According to the Insight TWI website, Ossoff has been an executive producer of four films since joining the company in 2013.[14]
The Companies Act of 2006, a UK law, states that a business must meet at least two of the following conditions to be designated as a “small company”:
- A turnover of £5.6 million or less;
- A balance sheet total of £2.8 million or less;
- Fifty or less employees.[15][7]
Insight TWI's most recent record of accounts, for 2015, indicates a balance sheet total of £549,866. The company also claimed audit exemptions that apply only to small businesses.[6][16] Sacha Haworth, senior communications adviser for the Ossoff campaign, said that TWI has a staff of seven full-time employees.[17]
Conclusion
Jon Ossoff, the Democratic candidate for Georgia's 6th Congressional District, has described himself as a small business owner.[1] Opponents have challenged this claim.[2][4] Documents filed with the UK government indicate that Ossoff owned 50 percent of the 100 shares of Insight TWI as of September 16, 2016, when the latest “annual return” financial document was filed.[5] Documents filed with the UK government also indicate that Insight TWI, a London-based documentary film company, qualifies as a small business under UK law.[6][7]
See also
- Georgia's 6th Congressional District special election, 2017
- Jon Ossoff
- April 18 special election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District
Sources and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jon Ossoff 2017 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed April 24, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 RedState, "Georgia Special Election Is Not Going The Way The Democrats Had Hoped," April 13, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "streiff," accessed May 3, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 America Rising, "Jon Ossoff Clearly Isn’t A Small Business Owner," accessed April 24, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Companies House, "Confirmation Statement," November 30, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Companies House, "Abbreviated Accounts," September 30, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Legislation.gov.uk, "Companies Act 2006, Part 15, Chapter 1, Section 382," accessed April 25, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ballotpedia, "Georgia's 6th Congressional District special election, 2017," accessed April 24, 2017
- ↑ The London School of Economics and Political Science, "Review of Books," accessed May 2, 2017
- ↑ Companies House, "Certificate of Incorporation of a Private Limited Company," September 16, 2011
- ↑ Insight TWI: The World Investigates, "About Insight TWI," accessed April 25, 2017
- ↑ Companies House, "Appointment of Director," August 22, 2013
- ↑ Companies House, "Change of Particulars for Director," October 4, 2013
- ↑ Insight TWI: The World Investigates, "Films," accessed April 25, 2017
- ↑ Legislation.gov.uk, "Companies Act of 2006: Overview of the Structure of the Act," accessed April 25, 2017
- ↑ Gov.uk, "Audit exemption for private limited companies," accessed May 2, 2017
- ↑ Sara Reynolds, "Email communication with Sacha Haworth, Senior Communications Adviser for the Ossoff campaign," April 29, 2017
Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2025, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
October 30, 2018
August 24, 2018
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