Allegations State Senate Candidate Bobby Harshbarger broke campaign laws to attack his opponent, Tennessee Senator Jon Lundberg, R-Briston, is going to the State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office for investigation.
Senate Caucus Chair Ken Yager, R-Kingston, filed the complaint against the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC questioning whether the group’s connections to Harshbarger violated ethics and registry requirements. The PAC has recently sent misleading text messages attacking Lundberg to voters in East Tennessee.
Its treasurer also serves as the treasurer of Harshbarger’s mother, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger.
On Tuesday the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance reviewed Yager’s complaint. Board member Tom Morton made a motion to refer it to the Office of the Attorney General and Reporter for further factual investigation, with Registry staff to assist if necessary. Members unanimously approved the motion 6 to 0.
Senator Lundberg applauded the move in an interview with East Tennessee television station WYCB.
“I’m glad they’re taking the step, and the attorney general is going to investigate it,” said Lundberg to the station. “I’m disappointed that we’ve gotten to this part in politics where that needs to occur. I’m disappointed when people flail around with ethics and integrity like that.”
Lundberg made those comments at an event where he received support in the campaign from Governor Bill Lee.
The Governor called Senator Lundberg a man of character and attacked the campaign against him as an effort from outside of Tennessee.
“There are folks that run campaigns against statesmen from outside of the state, a campaign run from Washington, people from Washington, funded from Washington, is not what upper East Tennessee needs. What they need is Jon Lundberg,” said Governor Lee.
Bobby Harshbarger’s campaign also responded to the decision to send Yager’s complaint to the state Attorney General. Campaign manager Caleb Rose attacked it in a statement to WYCB.
“This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to save Lundberg’s failing campaign. He is calling in every favor from the establishment in Nashville because he doesn’t want voters to look at his record of betraying East Tennessee values,” wrote Rose.
The race is expected to be one of the more competitive ones in Tennessee’s August primary and it could play a big role in education. Senator Lundberg chair’s the Senate Education Committee.
