PALMDALE – The campaign to re-elect California Assemblyman Steve Fox has responded to a lawsuit filed this week against Fox, calling it a meritless claim by a disgruntled former employee.
In a written statement, Campaign Consultant Lisa Gasperoni said: “I think the timing of this flawed legal claim says it all. Some have pointed out that [it] is nothing more than a disgruntled former employee attempting to extort Mr. Fox in the middle of his re-election campaign. Assemblyman Fox’s campaign is focusing on all that Mr. Fox has accomplished for the Antelope Valley.”
The lawsuit was filed Sept. 15 by Fox’s former legislative director, Nancy Kathleen Finnigan, who worked for Fox from Dec. 2012 until she was fired in May 2013. She claims that during her six-month stint she was routinely directed by Fox to carry out duties for his private law firm and to perform personal tasks for Fox after business hours.
Finnigan also claims she reported Fox for indecent exposure but no action was ever taken. She claims Fox was wearing undone pants without underwear, and he “exposed himself” to her in February 2013 after she went to his apartment to fetch him for an Assembly Floor Session.
The lawsuit goes on to cite numerous other incidents of alleged misconduct by Fox and his staff. [Read the complaint in full here.]
Finnigan alleges she was fired in part to prevent her “from reporting the continuing illegal and improper conduct” at Fox’s office.
Not so, according to Gasperoni.
“I’m confident that the voters will see this flawed claim for what it is, and focus on the millions of dollars Mr. Fox has brought to the district to create and keep good paying jobs in the Antelope Valley… Given Mr. Fox’s long record of working in the community, I think the voters know Mr. Fox and will understand that this is a meritless claim,” Gasperoni stated.
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Luther Berg says
I have know Steve for years. Steve helped me adopt my step-daughter for free ten years ago. I only paid court fees. This doesn’t sound like the guy I worked with and who helped for my family.
Resident says
His opponent is a Lackey to Buck Mckeon, a man with no integrity and a lot of money. This is just one giant smear campaign, because if she’s been working under these conditions for so long, why would she wait until a few months before the election to file a report? If people are able to see through this charade we’d all vote for Fox.
William says
Remember the smear campaign against Jonathan Ervin?
This one sounds like more of the same from a different source.
If it doesn’t work this time, will they continue doing it?
IRay says
The only lackey in the elections is Tony Strickland. He was hand picked by Nuck McKeon and the national Republican Party which doesn’t give a crap about California. The only candidates that give a rat’s ass about us in the Antelope Valkey are Steve Knight, Steve Fox, and Tom Lackey. Strickland will do what the Republican Party tells him to do.
Robert says
Just looking at a very well crafted and obviously cost a boat load of money smear mailer alleging Assemblyman Steve Fox as a sexual deviant. Really Republican Party? After they have worked so vigorously and spent so much time and money to suppress voters in almost every state they stoop to this? For a party always claiming to be one of values, I just don’t see any value coming from the Right. For the love of our democracy stop electing these cheating no good greed mongers. If they can’t win honorably then so be it! If you are thinking Republicans represent your ideology then what does that say about you? I believe most people are good and have little idea what the Republican Party has become. Dirty tricks have always been part of politics, but to this extent? What angers me most is the Leadership of the Republican Party stays silent which to me is an endorsement for these kind of disgusting tactics, and sure fire recognition that the electorate isn’t interested in their political agenda anymore.
William says
@Robert
I’m guessing that most middle and working class republican voters are suffering from a type of the Stockholm Syndrome. They vote for politicans who act against their own best interests. They love their abusers.
If you are a low paid worker, why on earth would you vote republican, the party that wants to keep your wages and benefits low. If you are in the middle class, thanks to Reagan & Co., the middle class is disappearing beginning in the 80s.
Why then would you vote for a republican?
They are politicians who won’t compromise, gum up the working of government, shutting down the government and trying to destroy a presidency even if it destroys the economy in the process.
You’re so right about the voter suppression. Those 8 hour lines in Florida are a result of deliberate voter suppression. The GOP legislators and governors in red states target new voting legislation specifically to burden and suppress voting by voters they think might be Democrats even when there has been no proven cases of in person voter fraud in some states. They seem unconcerned about election fraud which takes place after the polls close. In Georgia, with a republican Secretary of State, 40,000+ new registrations have disappeared and can’t be located on the rosters. Hmmm. The SOS is in charge of that.
74% of republicans who have enrolled in Obamacare like it but will still vote for republicans who vow to repeal it. Is that insane or what?
The leadership remains silent because they fear being ‘primaried’ by the far right extremists in the party. So, they have to be careful. How well can they govern from that position? If they dare compromise, they’re out next election.
The national GOP is simply a larger version of the leadership in Lancaster where money and religion rules regardless of how poor the results. Are Rex & Co. attending to the needs of Lancaster residents or just doing whatever they want and taking care of their buddies same as the national GOP and its relationship with the Koch brothers and others.
Didn’t republican voters learn anything from the last time they had control of the federal government and the messes that we are still trying to recover from? I guess not.
I promise you. They will do the same old, same old if they get another chance.
tim says
He is a piece of crap .
Stinger says
Typical gutter politics, again.
Read the complaint. Looks like a political hit piece to me by a person who is working with a hidden agenda. The timing of this is extremely suspect and reminds me of the last attempt to try to discredit Fox on the eve of the last election.
sees says
It is a political hit. Far right fighting for survival and losing eventually.