Tim Fox (politician)
Tim Fox | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 24thAttorney General of Montana | |
| In office January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021 | |
| Governor | Steve Bullock |
| Preceded by | Steve Bullock |
| Succeeded by | Austin Knudsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Timothy Charles Fox August 22, 1957 Hardin, Montana,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Karen Fox |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Montana(BS,JD,MPA) |
Timothy Charles Fox(born August 22, 1957) is anAmericanlawyer andRepublicanpolitician who served as theattorney generalofMontanafrom 2013 to 2021. Fox was a candidate forgovernor of Montanain the Republican primary of the2020 election.
Early life and education
[edit]Fox was born on August 22, 1957.[1]A native ofHardin, Montana,he is one of five sons of Rich and Roberta Fox.[2][3]Fox graduated from theUniversity of Montanawith a bachelor's degree ingeologyand then received hisJuris Doctorfrom theUniversity of Montana School of Law.He has also earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Montana.[4]
Career
[edit]Montana Attorney General (2013–2021)
[edit]A Republican, Fox was elected Montana Attorney General in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016.[4]During Fox's tenure, the Montana Department of Justice created a statewide testing and tracking system for untested rape kits.[5]Along with other Republican attorneys general, Fox filed suit against the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan[6]and against the Environmental Protection Agency over the Waters of the United States Rule.[7]Fox had represented the inland states' interests in a lawsuit against the state of Washington over its refusal to permit a coal export terminal that would provide access to Asian markets.[8]
In December 2020, Fox joined with Texas attorney generalKen Paxton's brief to SCOTUS to delay the electoral college votes of four states. Fox stated that he wanted to address irregularities in the four states that would have favored Democrats.[9]Paxton sued the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, where certified results showedJoe Bidenthe electoral victor over PresidentDonald Trump.Paxton, who is being investigated by theFBI,was thought to be fishing for a pardon from Trump. Fox joined the lawsuit seeking tooverturn the results of the presidential electionby challenging election processes in four states where Trump lost. Fox and 16 other states' Attorneys General who supported Paxton's challenge of the election results alleged numerous instances of unconstitutional actions in the four states' presidential ballot tallies, arguments that hadalready been rejected in other state and federal courts.[10]
InTexas v. Pennsylvania,Paxton asked theUnited States Supreme Courtto invalidate the states' sixty-two electoral votes, allowing Trump to be declared the winner of a second presidential term.[11]Because the suit has been characterized as a dispute between states, the Supreme Court retains original jurisdiction, though it frequently declines to hear such suits.[12]There was no evidence of consequential illegal voting in the election.[13]Paxton's lawsuit included claims that had been tried unsuccessfully in other courts and shown to be false.[14]Officials from each of the four states described Paxton's lawsuit as having recycled false and disproven claims of irregularity.[15]The merits of the objections were sharply criticized by legal experts and politicians.[16][17]Election law expertRick Hasendescribed the lawsuit as "the dumbest case I've ever seen filed on an emergency basis at the Supreme Court."[18][19]Nebraska Republican senatorBen Sassesaid the situation of Paxton initiating the lawsuit "looks like a fella begging for apardonfiled aPR stunt",in reference to Paxton's own state and federal legal issues (securities fraud chargesandabuse of office allegations).[20]On December 11, the U.S. Supreme Court quickly rejected the suit which Fox had joined, in an unsigned opinion.[21]
2020 Montana gubernatorial campaign
[edit]Fox was a candidate forGovernor of Montanain the2020 election.He lost the Republican primary in a landslide toGreg Gianforte,earning just 27% of the vote.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Fox and his wife, Karen, have four children and six grandchildren.[2]He is a cancer survivor.[4]
Electoral history
[edit]Election results can be found on the website of the Montana Secretary of State.[22]
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana Attorney General Republican Primary, 2008 | Republicanwin | Tim Fox | Republican | 43,662 | 56.6 | ||
| Lee Bruner | Republican | 33,424 | 43.4 | ||||
| Montana Attorney General Election, 2008 | Democratichold | Steve Bullock | Democratic | 245,669 | 52.6 | ||
| Tim Fox | Republican | 220,992 | 47.4 | ||||
| Montana Attorney General Republican Primary, 2012 | Republicanwin | Tim Fox | Republican | 70,239 | 57.8 | ||
| Jim Shockley | Republican | 51,343 | 42.2 | ||||
| Montana Attorney General Election, 2012 | Republicangain fromDemocratic | Tim Fox | Republican | 252,916 | 53.7 | ||
| Pam Bucy | Democratic | 218,228 | 46.3 | ||||
| Attorney General Republican Primary, 2016 | Republicanwin | Tim Fox | Republican | unopposed | |||
| Montana Attorney General Election, 2016 | Republicanhold | Tim Fox | Republican | 332,766 | 67.67 | ||
| Larry Jent | Democratic | 158,970 | 32.33 | ||||
References
[edit]- ^"Fox, Jent vie for attorney general's seat".Great Falls Tribune. October 14, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 23,2020.
- ^ab"Attorney General Tim Fox".Montana Department of Justice.RetrievedJanuary 23,2020.
- ^"Tim Fox (R), Montana Attorney General".National Association of Attorneys General. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-09-24.RetrievedJanuary 23,2020.
- ^abcdVolz, Matt (January 24, 2019)."Montana attorney general announces campaign for governor".Associated Press.RetrievedJanuary 23,2020.
- ^"State website gives updates on untested sex assault kits".Great Falls Tribune.Retrieved2019-06-12.
- ^Fraser, Jayme."Montana joins lawsuit challenging clean-power rules".The Billings Gazette.Retrieved2019-06-12.
- ^King, Jon."Montana Files Lawsuit Against EPA Over" Waters of the U.S. "Rule".Newstalk KGVO.Retrieved2019-06-12.
- ^Fox, Tim (2018-06-21)."Opinion | Washington State Should Stop Blocking Planned Coal Export Terminal".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2019-06-12.
- ^Fox joins brief trying to stop electoral votes in 4 states,Independent Record, Holly Michels December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^Trump thought courts were key to winning. Judges disagreed,Associated Press,Coleen Long and Ed White, December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^"Trump thought courts were key to winning. Judges disagreed".AP NEWS.December 8, 2020.RetrievedDecember 23,2020.
- ^Liptak, Adam (December 8, 2020)."Texas files an audacious suit with the Supreme Court challenging the election results".The New York Times.Retrieved23 December2020.
- ^Platoff, Emma (2020-12-08)."In new lawsuit, Texas contests election results in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania".The Texas Tribune.Retrieved2020-12-23.
- ^"'Publicity stunt': AGs in battleground states blast Texas counterpart for challenging Biden's win ".NBC News.Retrieved2020-12-23.
- ^Lindell, Chuck."Ken Paxton asks Supreme Court to block Joe Biden victory in 4 battleground states".Austin American-Statesman.Retrieved2020-12-23.
- ^"17 states, and Trump, join Texas request for Supreme Court to overturn Biden wins in four states".Dallas News.December 9, 2020.RetrievedDecember 23,2020.
- ^Liptak, Adam (December 8, 2020)."Texas files an audacious suit with the Supreme Court challenging the election results".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 23,2020– via NYTimes.
- ^"Trump and his GOP loyalists seek to pile on Supreme Court election challenge".ABC News.Retrieved2020-12-23.
- ^Phillips, Amber (December 11, 2020)."Why the Texas lawsuit to overturn the 2020 election may be the most outlandish effort yet".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon December 11, 2020.RetrievedDecember 23,2020.
- ^Platoff, Emma (December 10, 2020)."With election lawsuit, Ken Paxton — like Donald Trump — makes a Hail Mary play".The Texas Tribune.RetrievedDecember 23,2020.
- ^Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election,New York Times,December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 20202.
- ^"Official Election Results".Montana Secretary of State. 22 February 2018.RetrievedJanuary 23,2020.