Democrat John Wolfe is spending only a fraction of what his Republican and independent rivals are shelling out in Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District, but he has yet to file required financial disclosures for his campaign.
Wolfe campaign manager Joda Thongnopnua said Friday the campaign has raised “in the ballpark between $15,000 and $20,000,” but hasn’t filed any financial reports this year with the Federal Election Commission.
“We’re slightly behind in (filing the reports), but we are in the process of submitting our FEC reports now,” Thongnopnua said.
Candidates are required to register their campaign committees and make regular financial reports to the FEC once they raise or spend more than $5,000, commission spokeswoman Mary Brandenberger said.
Wolfe, a Chattanooga attorney, is making his third bid for Congress after unsuccessful campaigns in 2004 and 2006.
Wolfe’s former campaign treasurer, Albert Teague, told the FEC in June that Wolfe “is running off the old committee” from his 2006 campaign and “has no right to use my name.”
“He has not paid me for the last two campaigns,” Teague said in a letter to the FEC. “I no longer support or back Mr. Wolfe.”
Thongnopnua said Teague “is not a part of the campaign this year, and he and Mr. Wolfe are going through a professional disagreement.”
Republican Chuck Fleischmann has raised nearly $1.3 million for the August primary and November general election in the 3rd Congressional District, campaign filings show.
Two independent 3rd District candidates — Mark DeVol and Savas Kyriakidis — said Friday they have raised far more than has Wolfe.
DeVol, an Oak Ridge business owner, said he expects to spend about $40,000.
Kyriakidis, a military lawyer and part owner of the Acropolis restaurant, said he could end up spending about $100,000.
All three rivals slammed Fleischmann for skipping candidate forums and debates and for writing the biggest checks from his campaign to out-of-town political consultants and ad agencies.
Campaigning this week with U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam, Fleischmann said he “feels very good about where we are.”
He declined to comment on the other candidates’ attacks or on Wolfe’s campaign financial filings.
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