FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 1998
CONTACT: Dan Rene, 703-847-3088

Fox Saved By FEC Budget Crunch

But Still Stonewalls on Loan Documents

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has announced it will not prosecute Congressman Jon Fox over two controversial loans totally $35,000 he took from big donors to his 1992 campaign. The FEC explicitly stated that it was not addressing the validity of the complaints filed by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) but rather had to prioritize complaints because of a lack of resources.

NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm stated, "Fox was saved by the Federal Election Commission's budget crunch. Anyone who doubts for a second that it's illegal for candidates to take secret personal loans from big contributors during a campaign can contact the FEC for an advisory opinion. Without exception, they will be told it's illegal."

Congressman Fox yesterday refused to disclose how much interest he has yet to pay on the $25,000 loan from real estate developer Bruce Toll.

Boehm continued, "Fox first said he would not disclose the loan note or bank records on the $25,000 Toll loan because it was under investigation. Now it's not, yet Fox continues to stonewall the media and his own constituents by not releasing these documents. What has he got to hide? The only reason he would have to keep these documents secret is that they get him in more legal trouble. For example, if Fox's bank records show the loan came before July 1, 1992, as a Fox staffer told a reporter for Roll Call , then Fox lied on his financial disclosure forms when he stated he had no such loans prior to that date.

Boehm concluded,"The fact that Fox had a $25,000 loan on which he hadn't paid a penny for six years was bad enough. Worse yet is the fact that Fox then pushed through legislation in committee putting more than $4 million in federal transportation improvements on land next to two real estate holdings owned by Toll and other Fox contributors in Towamencin Township. Fox owes the public some honest answers."

###

NOTE: For interviews to facilitate your coverage please contact Dan Rene at drene@nlpc.org or (703) 847-3088.