The Office Actress Jenna Fischer Gets GOP Tax Bill Wrong, Apologizes

Jenna Fischer sent a lengthy apology on Wednesday, Dec. 27, in response to criticisms on her tweet about the recently passed GOP tax bill. The actress gave false information on Saturday that the bill eliminated a tax deduction for schoolteachers.

Fischer wrote a seven-paragraph apology after Twitter users corrected her tweet about the GOP bill. The former The Office star posted that the new bill will affect teachers' ability to deduct the cost of classroom supplies.

"I can't stop thinking about how school teachers can no longer deduct the cost of their classroom supplies on their taxes ... something they shouldn't have to pay for with their own money in the first place," Fischer wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

Her post received negative feedback from readers who called out the actress for her incorrect assumption on the GOP tax bill. The legislation that U.S. president Donald Trump signed on Dec. 19 allowed the $250 deduction to remain untouched, following outcry from teachers and their supporters. Initially, the White House version of the bill called for the elimination of the deduction. There was also an attempt from the Senate to double the deduction. The final bill means teachers, who purchase school supplies with their own money, are allowed a maximum of $250 tax deduction.

Fischer deleted her original tweet and sent a lengthy apology to address her mishap. She admitted that she feels "genuinely bad" about getting her facts wrong and admitted that she was behind on her research, although her intentions were clean. The 43-year-old actress also clarified that she did not mean to spread false information about the GOP tax bill.

"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," Fisher posted on Twitter.

"I'm not ashamed to say I was wrong and I'm not ashamed to correct it. I was taught that taking responsibility is the right thing to do," the actress added.

As to why she deleted her initial post, Fischer reasoned that it was the right thing to do. She believes that accuracy is important.

Fischer closed her apology with a message of gratitude to the teachers, who do so much more than teach. She said that they also open their hearts and often their wallets for the sake of education. She also thanked the readers for their feedback and for listening. Fans can read her entire apology below.

Tags

Donald Trump