Duncan among Republicans joining Democrats in U.S. House vote against farm bill
U.S. House Republicans are at each other’s throats after the Freedom Caucus delivered a shock to party leaders on Friday by killing a key GOP bill over an unrelated simmering feud over immigration, reports Politico. Thirty Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the Agriculture and Nutrition Act, better known as the farm bill.
In the Tennessee House delegation, Republican Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan of Knoxville, voted no along with Democrats Steve Cohen of Memphis and Jim Cooper of Nashville. The other six Tennessee representative, all Republicans, voted yes. The bill got 198 yes votes versus 213 noes. (Roll call vote HERE.)
Incumbent Duncan endorses Matlock in 2nd Congressional District GOP primary
U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. on Tuesday announced he was endorsing State Rep. Jimmy Matlock for the congressional seat that has been tied to the Duncan name for more than half a century, reports the News Sentinel.
Investigators find ‘substantial reason’ to believe Duncan violated House rules with family spending
Congressional ethics investigators say they have found substantial reason to believe Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. improperly used thousands of campaign dollars on personal expenses for himself and his family, reports Michael Collins.
Duncan facing ethics investigation — apparently over campaign payments to family
The House Ethics Committee is investigating U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. of Knoxville, though not giving a reason for the probe in a statement Tuesday. But there’s immediate speculation the investigation involves payment of campaign funds to the congressman’s relatives – most notably his son, John J. Duncan III — that continued through into December of 2017 after media reporting on the matter in July. Duncan says he’s done nothing wrong.
Corker, Duncan quoted in report on ‘bumper crop’ of retiring congressmen
In an article on the two dozen members of Congress who are retiring this year, Politico suggests that unhappiness with the current political environment is a factor – and quotes two departing Tennessee politicians in the process.
People retire every cycle. But this year’s group is a bumper crop of members wondering whether Congress is broken forever—even as they insist they love their own jobs.
On the ‘Hush Fund Elimination Act” and an age discrimination lawsuit against Duncan
While co-sponsoring the “Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act” and enthusiastically supporting its provisions dealing with sexual harassment, the Nashville Post reports that U.S. Reps. Diane Black and Marsha Blackburn are vague on whether it should apply to settlements of other legal claims – such as a payment settling an age discrimination lawsuit brought by one of Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan’s staffers.
In 2nd Congressional District, Matlock leads Burchett in cash on hand
Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett led candidates to succeed U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. in collecting donations but state Rep. Jimmy Matlock has more cash on hand for his campaign, according to financial disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission this week.
Duncan, who announced his retirement on July 31, still has far more campaign money than all his would-be successors combined with a reported balance of $917,303. The veteran congressman reported $52,500 in contributions received during the past quarter and continued using campaign funds to pay family members — a practice that inspired some controversy earlier this year.
Ken Gross is fourth Republican to launch campaign for 2nd Congressional District
Ken Gross, a politically-active Knoxville business executive, has become the fourth Republican to declare himself a candidate to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. in the 2nd Congressional District.
His campaign slogan, Gross tells the News Sentinel: Make Congress great again.
Duncan won’t back Burchett as successor in Congress… maybe Matlock
Soon-to-retire U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. tells the Nashville Post that he’s definitely not going to endorse Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett as his successor, though leaving the door open to support for state Rep. Jimmy Matlock’s run for the 2nd District Congressional seat.
And Duncan says he will continue payments from his campaign account to his son for now – though reducing the amount.
Burchett officially kicks off campaign for Congress
Hundreds of people came out Saturday to hear Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett deliver a speech declaring himself a candidate for the 2nd Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr., reports the News Sentinel.
“The House was created before the Senate. It was created to represent the people…the farmers, the laborers and the small business owners, people we call our blue collar workers,” he said. “People, who in 2017, go to work every day with their names on their shirts.
“There’s a reason House seats are on the ballot every dad-gum two years, it’s because these seats belong to the people, not to any one candidate or elected official,” he continued.
