A left-leaning interest group wants Nashville’s District Attorney to find out how much mayoral candidate David Fox has been talking to his brother. The question is whether the two coordinated in violation of rules governing outside spending by Super PACs.
Fox’s brother, George, is a hedge fund manager in Connecticut. He, his wife and their student-aged children have all maxed out their giving to the Fox campaign, according to disclosures with the Davidson County Election Commission. But George Fox
put half a million dollars into an outside campaign to place ads for Fox and against his opponents in the general election. Federal rules allow Super PACs to do this, but only if there’s no coordination with the candidate.
“Frankly, it’s just not believable that your brother would spend $500,000 helping you get elected, and you wouldn’t know about it,” Gerard Stranch, attorney for Tennessee Citizen Action, said during a press conference.
Tennessee Citizen Action filed its complaint Friday morning, citing the more than three-week delay on mounting questions.
“Now there’s more direct evidence that makes it clear there was some coordination,” executive director Andy Spears said, referring to comments from David Fox about who he thought was behind the ad campaigns.
Tennessee Citizen Action did not make an issue of the Super PAC money
when it first came to light July 21. The group also hasn’t questioned outside
spending on behalf of candidate Jeremy Kane, who failed to make the runoff.
Now Fox is in the runoff with councilwoman Megan Barry, who is a favorite among the city’s left-leaning activists. Tennessee Citizen Action’s leaders insist they’re not coordinating with the Barry campaign, and that they only want to ensure “clean” elections.
Candidate David Fox declined to comment.
A spokesperson for Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk says the office is reviewing the complaint.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM