FEC dismisses complaints against Burchett and Matlock in 2nd Congressional District campaign
The Federal Election Commission has dismissed complaints filed against Tim Burchett and Jimmy Matlock, competiting candidates in the 2nd Congressional District Republican primary, reports the News Sentinel.
Campaign finance complaint against Mae Beavers dismissed
The Registry of Election Finance board has unanimously voted to dismiss a complaint that accused former state Sen. Mae Beavers of violating campaign finance laws in the handling of leftover money from her abandoned gubernatorial campaign, reports Tennessee Star. Beavers said the complaint was “politically motivated.”
She had used $122,123 from her gubernatorial campaign to launch a new political action committee, which then donated $7,800 to current campaign for Wilson County mayor – a donation she subsequently refunded after it was initially disclosed.
Lee accused of campaign finance violations; spokesman calls complaint ‘nonsense’
Williamson County businessman Bill Lee is accused in a recently-filed complaint of violating various laws in the financing of his campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, reports The Tennessean. A spokesman for the candidate calls the complaint “nonsense” and the newspaper notes there are a couple of apparent factual errors that might prompt the Registry of Election Finance to dismiss it.
Boyd leads guber field in political ad purchases with $9M; Black at $7M
Four Republican candidates for governor have purchased $21 million in political advertising for their campaigns, reports The Tennessean. Two Democrats and a couple of PACs involved in the gubernatorial campaign have, combined, spent about $2 million on ads, for a $23 million statewide total.
That’s for ads already run and those purchased and scheduled to run in the campaign days ahead.
You can now buy Phil Bredesen ‘Cut the Carp’ baseball caps
U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen is apparently the only candidate for statewide office this year to make a campaign issue out of the Asian carp invasion of Tennessee lakes and rivers. Now he’s using it as a fundraising device (gimmick?), offering baseball caps bearing the slogan ‘Phil Bredesen, U.S. Senate, Cut the Carp’ or ‘Phil Bredesen Against Asian Carp’ at $25 each.
Black offers everyone an opportunity to sign her Donald Trump birthday card
U.S. Rep. Diane Black has — well, at least arguably — already outdone other Republican candidates for governor in proclaiming her support and admiration for President Trump. Latest gesture (gimmick?): You can now sign a birthday card to the president on her campaign website. (His birthday is June 14 and he’ll be 72.)
New PAC backs Lee in Republican gubernatorial race with radio ad
A new Super PAC supporting Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee says it began airing radio ads today touting the Williamson County businessman as the “conservative outsider we need,” reports the Times Free Press.
Briley raises more money in Nashville mayor’s race than all other candidates combined
Nashville Mayor David Briley, who holds the position on an interim basis, has raised more money than all other candidates in Thursday’s mayor election combined, reports The Tennessean.
His total: $720,200, including $317,315 raised over the past six weeks. No. 2 in fundraising was Carol Swain, a former Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain and a conservative commentator, at $115,560.
Roe challenger opens a campaign headquarters
U.S. Army veteran Todd McKinley, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Phil Roe in the 1st Congressional District Republican primary, has set up a campaign headquarters and is voicing optimism about his chances despite a $475,000 lead the incumbent has in campaign money, reports the Johnson City Press.
Black takes campaign trip on jet linked to company she helped in Congress and that helped her in fundraising
On a day of campaigning for governor last month, U.S. Rep. Diane Black flew from Chattanooga to Paris, Tenn., and back on a plane linked to Fitzgerald Glider Kits, reports The Tennessean. That’s the Crossville company that received some media attention in February after getting an exemption with Black’s help from federal vehicle emission standards for the truck engines it makes — and which has bundled $225,000 in donations to her gubernatorial campaign.
A Black spokesman says there’s nothing improper there; that she paid for the flight and it will be duly reported on her next campaign financial disclosure. The story says Black flew on the 2017 Embraer Phenom 300 twin-jet airplane from Chattanooga to West Tennessee on the morning of April 27 to attend the Paris Fish Fry, then used it to fly back to Chattanooga that evening to attend the Hamilton County Lincoln Day Dinner where she met with, among others, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
