Tim Fox (politician)

Tim Fox
24th Attorney General of Montana
In office
January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021
GovernorSteve Bullock
Preceded bySteve Bullock
Succeeded byAustin Knudsen
Personal details
Born
Timothy Charles Fox

(1957-08-22) August 22, 1957 (age 67)
Hardin, Montana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKaren Fox
Children4
EducationUniversity of Montana (BS, JD, MPA)

Timothy Charles Fox (born August 22, 1957) is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the attorney general of Montana from 2013 to 2021. Fox was a candidate for governor of Montana in the Republican primary of the 2020 election.

Early life and education

Fox was born on August 22, 1957.[1] A native of Hardin, Montana, he is one of five sons of Rich and Roberta Fox.[2][3] Fox graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor's degree in geology and then received his Juris Doctor from the University of Montana School of Law. He has also earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Montana.[4]

Career

Montana Attorney General (2013–2021)

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 general Ken 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 showed Joe Biden the electoral victor over President Donald Trump. Paxton, who is being investigated by the FBI, was thought to be fishing for a pardon from Trump. Fox joined the lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the presidential election by 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 had already been rejected in other state and federal courts.[10]

In Texas v. Pennsylvania, Paxton asked the United States Supreme Court to 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 expert Rick Hasen described the lawsuit as "the dumbest case I've ever seen filed on an emergency basis at the Supreme Court."[18][19] Nebraska Republican senator Ben Sasse said the situation of Paxton initiating the lawsuit "looks like a fella begging for a pardon filed a PR stunt", in reference to Paxton's own state and federal legal issues (securities fraud charges and abuse 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

Fox was a candidate for Governor of Montana in the 2020 election. He lost the Republican primary in a landslide to Greg Gianforte, earning just 27% of the vote.[4]

Personal life

Fox and his wife, Karen, have four children and six grandchildren.[2] He is a cancer survivor.[4]

Electoral history

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 Republican win Tim Fox Republican43,66256.6
Lee Bruner Republican33,42443.4
Montana Attorney General Election, 2008 Democratic hold Steve Bullock Democratic245,66952.6
Tim Fox Republican220,99247.4
Montana Attorney General Republican Primary, 2012 Republican win Tim Fox Republican70,23957.8
Jim Shockley Republican51,34342.2
Montana Attorney General Election, 2012 Republican gain from Democratic Tim Fox Republican252,91653.7
Pam Bucy Democratic218,22846.3
Attorney General Republican Primary, 2016 Republican win Tim Fox Republicanunopposed
Montana Attorney General Election, 2016 Republican hold Tim Fox Republican332,76667.67
Larry Jent Democratic158,97032.33

References

  1. ^ "Fox, Jent vie for attorney general's seat". Great Falls Tribune. October 14, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Attorney General Tim Fox". Montana Department of Justice. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "Tim Fox (R), Montana Attorney General". National Association of Attorneys General. Archived from the original on 2013-09-24. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Volz, Matt (January 24, 2019). "Montana attorney general announces campaign for governor". Associated Press. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "State website gives updates on untested sex assault kits". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  6. ^ Fraser, Jayme. "Montana joins lawsuit challenging clean-power rules". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  7. ^ King, Jon. "Montana Files Lawsuit Against EPA Over "Waters of the U.S." Rule". Newstalk KGVO. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  8. ^ Fox, Tim (2018-06-21). "Opinion | Washington State Should Stop Blocking Planned Coal Export Terminal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  9. ^ Fox joins brief trying to stop electoral votes in 4 states, Independent Record, Holly Michels December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  10. ^ Trump thought courts were key to winning. Judges disagreed, Associated Press, Coleen Long and Ed White, December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  11. ^ "Trump thought courts were key to winning. Judges disagreed". AP NEWS. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  12. ^ Liptak, Adam (December 8, 2020). "Texas files an audacious suit with the Supreme Court challenging the election results". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  13. ^ Platoff, Emma (2020-12-08). "In new lawsuit, Texas contests election results in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  14. ^ "'Publicity stunt': AGs in battleground states blast Texas counterpart for challenging Biden's win". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  15. ^ Lindell, Chuck. "Ken Paxton asks Supreme Court to block Joe Biden victory in 4 battleground states". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  16. ^ "17 states, and Trump, join Texas request for Supreme Court to overturn Biden wins in four states". Dallas News. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Liptak, Adam (December 8, 2020). "Texas files an audacious suit with the Supreme Court challenging the election results". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via NYTimes.com.
  18. ^ "Trump and his GOP loyalists seek to pile on Supreme Court election challenge". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  19. ^ 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 from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  20. ^ Platoff, Emma (December 10, 2020). "With election lawsuit, Ken Paxton — like Donald Trump — makes a Hail Mary play". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  21. ^ Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election, New York Times, December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 20202.
  22. ^ "Official Election Results". Montana Secretary of State. 22 February 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Montana
2013–2021 		Succeeded by