Jenna Fischer came under fire over the weekend (and beyond) after tweeting criticism of the GOP’s big tax bill taking direct aim at an element of the legislation that wasn’t part of the final product. Namely, Fischer slamming the elimination of deductions for teachers that pay for the own supplies, something that the bill will not be doing in this major tax overhaul. As is customary, there was no shortage of folks Twitter happy to pop up and tell the actress that what she tweeted about wasn’t accurate.
On Wednesday, Fischer issued an apology for the content of her (now deleted) tweet and stressed that she did not intend to maliciously spread false information. The Office veteran says she should have checked in on the ultimate fate of the teacher supply deduction before issuing her criticism.
“I made a mistake and I want to correct it. After reading your feedback and doing additional research I discovered that I tweeted something that was not accurate,” wrote Fischer. “Last month, the House of Representatives voted for a tax bill that did kill a $250 deduction for teachers to buy classroom supplies, but in the final bill the deduction was restored. I feel genuinely bad about getting my facts wrong and I’m sorry. I did not mean to spread misinformation. I was well-intentioned, but I was behind on my research.”
It’s a lengthy reflection from Fischer on the importance of accuracy, her responsibility in that arena and the need to apologize for the error no matter her intentions.
“I’m not ashamed to say I was wrong and I’m not ashamed to correct it,” shared Fischer. “I was taught that taking responsibility is the right thing to do.”
Whether or not that apology is accepted remains to be seen, but full marks on not going the “I apologize if you were offended” route. You can read Fischer’s apology in full below
I've deleted a tweet and would like to issue an apology. Please read and re-tweet to help me spread the word! Thanks! pic.twitter.com/R6CNyn4bVV
— Jenna Fischer (@jennafischer) December 27, 2017